Jim Belushi Visits the Library of Congress

On June 27, 2024, actor and comedian Jim Belushi visited the Library of Congress, where he received a special tour of the collections of the Music Division, Recorded Sound Division and American Folklife Center. Belushi took part in  “Live! At the Library: The House of Blues Moves into the Library of Congress,” an event celebrating the arrival of the House of Blues Radio Collection. The House of Blues was hosted by Dan Akroyd and ran for over two decades, raising the profile of the blues as a vital musical genre. 

During his tour, Belushi looked at original sheet music copyright deposits, ranging from “Black Smith Moan” by legendary bluesman “Blind” Lemon Jefferson to music featured in the original 1980 “Blues Brothers” film, including Otis Redding’s “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher.” What touched him most was an original copy of “Back Water Blues” by Bessie Smith, written for the African American community affected by the Nashville Cumberland River Flood of 1926. Carefully holding the 1927 manuscript, Belushi grew visibly emotional as he read the lyrics aloud, 

When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night,
When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night,
Then trouble’s takin’ place in the lowlands at night.

Later that night, Belushi made a surprise appearance at “Live! At the Library!” under his Blues Brothers persona, Zee Blues. Dressed in his iconic black suit and sunglasses, Belushi sang, played harmonica, and danced with blues performers Gaye Adegbalola and Adem Dalipi. At the end of a performance of Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home, Chicago,” Belushi welcomed the House of Blues Radio Collection to its new “sweet home” at the Library of Congress.