Second Fiddle Facts About Jim Belushi, The Blues Brother’s Brother
A Family Tragedy Changed Everything
Having a famous older sibling can be a blessing or a curse. For Jim Belushi, it was both. When his big brother was the toast of Saturday Night Live, Belushi had an open invitation to some of the wildest, most star-studded parties in NYC.
But when Belushi looked to his big brother for help with his career, he got nothing. And then a family tragedy changed everything.
1. He Was Normal
Jim Belushi was born on June 15, 1954, and raised in a suburb of Chicago. Jim, along with his brothers John and Billy and his sister Marian, grew up in a pretty typical American household. The Belushis had no idea how famous two of these kids would become.
2. He Wanted Something Exciting
After high school, Belushi went to a public university where he majored in Theater Arts. He graduated in 1978 and probably would have gone on to work at his dad’s restaurant—except for one thing. His big brother was doing something much more exciting and he wanted a part of it.
3. He Wanted To Be Like John
By this time, his brother John was already one of the inaugural cast members of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. So, Jim Belushi decided to follow in his big brother’s footsteps. Of course, he had to earn his own spot on SNL—and to do that he followed his big brother’s trajectory.
4. He Was A Nobody
Since his brother was part of SNL, Jim Belushi was always welcome to come backstage after the show. The thing was, Jim Belushi was still a nobody. And at the after party, no one really wanted to talk to the younger brother of the big star.
Jim Belushi would have to find his own path to success.
