Newly unearthed video shows John Belushi defending Blues Brothers from music critics

nypost.com:

“Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude,” Belushi responded to criticism the band received as White men occupying spaces in the blues culture, which was predominantly spearheaded by Black artists.Soho Weekly News music critic Steve Bloom in 1979 shared headlines with Belushi, some stating, “Can Belushi sing the whites?” and “Why the Brothers ain’t got no blues.”“It’s just weird, you know?” Belushi said. “Why would I do these things?

The people watching me understand why I do it, and the band members do. The other people – there’s a certain amount of jealousy, I think, involved. … Why do I do what I do?

First of all, it has nothing to do with ego, it has nothing to do with money, you know, or the need to be loved by an audience.

I don’t have any of those feelings.”He continued, “What the f— do these people think I am, anyway? I can’t f—ing understand why they would attack – see, when they attack me, they attack the band, and I hate when they attack the band, because then it makes them look like schmucks for doing what they did for me.”Bloom believed critics were “attacking” Belushi.“You see, there’s a long line of cases where White musicians play Black music and make money while the Black musicians don’t make the money, supposedly,” Bloom said.“That’s not the purpose of the Blues Brothers,” Belushi said. “I say on the record, ‘Buy as many blues records as you can.’ [I] introduce my band, which is never done.