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Judith Jacklin Belushi

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Belushi: A Biography Hardcover – November 1, 2005

by Judith Jacklin Belushi (Author), Tanner Colby (Author)

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On the day he turned thirty, John starred in America’s number-one movie (Animal House), starred in the number-one late-night show (Saturday Night Live) and had recorded the number-one album (Briefcase Full of Blues). All from a guy who was never supposed to make it out from behind the cash register of his family’s Chicago diner. How did this Albanian immigrant’s son capture a nation’s imagination and come to embody all the glory and tragedy of the American dream? It was one high-price, high-speed, short-lived wild ride.

BELUSHI is a whirlwind of a book, filled with never-before-seen photos and provocative, intensely personal testimonials by just about every major comedic figure of the last half century. Here is the remarkable and raucous story of a larger-than-life figure who danced out at the precipice of American fame.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Rugged Land
Publication date

November 1, 2005
Dimensions

8.77 x 1.06 x 10.25 inches
ISBN-10

1590710487
ISBN-13

978-1590710487
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Through brief sound bites from friends, family members, fellow comedians and entertainment industry big-shots, this surprisingly touching oral history of one of the best-loved American comics portrays John Belushi as a rags-to-riches hero who became a larger-than-life star before overdosing on heroin and cocaine at the Chateau Marmont in 1982. Pisano, Belushi's teenage sweetheart turned wife, compiled the book from a series of interviews conducted shortly after her 33-year-old husband's death, and charts the Belushi myth, as told by Dan Aykroyd, Carrie fisher and Al Franken, among many others, from John's Chicago childhood through after his death. Highlights include Belushi's role as the Blue Fairy in a High School pageant, in which he was characterized as "a man who did not resemble a woman;" the evolution of The Blues Brothers from Saturday Night Live skit to major label band; and the harrowing accounts of Belushi's final weeks. Readers will be entertained and moved by this deeply personal account of a talented and complicated man. Family snapshots as well as behind-the-scenes photos complement the story.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Pisano's second book on the Saturday Night Live star (remember then-Judith Jacklin Belushi's Samurai Widow, 1991?) drags in an accomplice to collect quotes from eyewitnesses to John Belushi's life and career, combine them with dozens of photos (including family and college shots), and present a sort of oral history of the comedian's riotous professional rise and abrupt, mortal fall. It's a humorous, nostalgic show-biz-trivia goldmine. The thoughts of such collaborators and costars as Chevy Chase, Tony Hendra, and Robin Williams are mixed with those of pre-SNLfriends and college acquaintances. Lorne Michaels, Dick Ebersol, and Michael O'Donoghue describe working with Belushi on SNL and National Lampoon radio projects. John Landis and Tim Matheson contribute movie memories (Belushi "did the entire [Animal House] cafeteria line scene in one take"). Dan Aykroyd comments on it all. Al Franken's here, as is his oft-forgotten SNL collaborator, Tom Davis. Mostly testimonial stuff, to be sure, but also the collected reactions to Belushi's drug-overdose death--an often-bitter, hugely disappointed set of remarks about his final days. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rugged Land (November 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590710487
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590710487
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.91 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.77 x 1.06 x 10.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,093 in Comedy (Books)
- #8,390 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- #9,006 in Performing Arts (Books)

Customer Reviews:
235

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Judith Jacklin Belushi
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Tanner Colby
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Tanner Colby is the author of Belushi: A Biography and the New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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4.7 out of 5

235 global ratings

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Brian Bahnsen

A Riveting Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book was simply amazing. Colby and Belushi Pisano crafted a book full of stories from those who knew and loved John most. Hard to set down, but easy to pick up. Even though we all knew the outcome, I found myself hoping for a different result. Such a warm, loving, and caring man that had gifts we were all lucky to experience in the many ways he shared them with us. A tortured talent taken far before his time. Thank you for giving us readers a glimpse into the amazing person, that was John Belushi!

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Amazon Customer

A unique and varied account of 1 man's life

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

Had a hard time putting this book down. Not only did it open up several aspects of one of my favorite childhood actors (Grew up on Blues Brothers and Animal House), but it did it in a method that I've never experienced before. Many, many people who knew, worked with, and loved Belushi explained their interactions in their own words with their own thoughts. Sometimes those thoughts conflicted -- but it made the story more truthful, because not everyone always knows what we are thinking. I feel like this way of narrating created a bio that was "fair" and show that John wasn't just "some guy who died from a drug overdoes". I appreciate everyone that contributed to this biography and shared both what was lovely and what was difficult about being a friend of John Belushi.

2 people found this helpful

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Doc

Fantastic portrait of a tortured genius

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2010

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Belushi tells through recollections of those who know and worked with him the tale of the rise and fall of John Belushi. He was a man who craved fame but was torn down by it. He was forced to grow up young due to his home life, and as a result he never really grew up, clearly evidenced by the many memories of him acting as a boy would act in situations that really called for a man. Contrasting these instances are those stories where he manned up and did what needed to be done for his family or his work. As one who was always there for everyone else, it seems almost like he never cared enough for himself to ask others to help.

The photos and stories in this book are fantastic, many never previously seen by the public. The intimate retellings of private encounters and interactions with this comedic genius are wonderful reading. The self-destructive bent he acquired to cope with the stress of his unparalleled success is seen to evolve through the telling, with Belushi only trying to return from the brink after passing too close to its edge.

There were only a few minor quality-control issues with this fantastic work, most prominent being the typo in the footer for an entire chapter. Outside of that and a few other typos here and there, the book is wonderful.

6 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Gone too soon

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2021

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I really enjoyed reading this account of John’s life. Unfortunately his talent led him down a path of self destruction and ultimately an early grave. It’s a good example of how the Hollywood machine uses people for selfish gain with total disregard for the effect it has on the “talent”. Another sad tale of a shooting star that burned out before it’s time.

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Gunny Fritz King

A great book about a comic genius who died before his time.

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2009

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I admit, I'm a big John Belushi fan, and an even bigger Blues Brothers fan. I first heard "Briefcase full of Blues" in my best friend's bedroom on an old "Reader's Digest" record player, and it literally changed my life.

John Belushi's star was on the rise. He had a top TV show, a top movie, and the top record album in the country back in'79, a record NO ONE has beat. Judy Pisano has done a wonderful job of showing the man behind the legend. It's full of pictures from her private collection, showing the rise an the fall of a true comic genius. We still miss you, John.

One person found this helpful

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Lisa C.

Great product

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

Arrived in great shape. Wonderful book

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James A. Haynes

A great corrective for "Wired"

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2013

Verified Purchase

I didn't trust Bob Woodward's "Wired" when I read it years ago. The tone was off, and it seemed deliberately to choose anecdotes that would show John Belushi in the worst possible light. A recent SLATE article by this books co-author alterted me to "Belushi"; I bought it, and enjoyed it hugely. Warm, affectionate, funny, but still warts and all. A great gift from his wife to his memory.

2 people found this helpful

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70's Kid

Very well done.

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

Written by his wife with commentary from many famous folks who knew him the best. Loved it. Wish we still had John Belushi with us.

2 people found this helpful

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brian challoner

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on July 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

Was very impressed by the interview process that gave facts more than opinion on the man and his life.

Ilaria Virgili

la breve vita di un grande

Reviewed in Italy on May 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

Un libro ricco di foto personali e ricordi di amici e colleghi di un brillante attore scomparso troppo presto.forse non così veritiero come lascia intendere ma sicuramente uno spaccato sulla vita di un artista che sarebbe potuto diventare davvero grande. personalmente lascia l'amaro in bocca il commento finale di dan aykroyd

2 people found this helpful

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Cheekos

Comedy Hero

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

I liked Wired.
There, I've said it.
I can't let my yellowed paperback go off to the charity shop in the sky. I think Wired put a darker, gritty and drug-fueled aspect to John Belushi demise that we all knew about, and his ultimate sad speed-balling come-uppance. That said, I was expecting this to be a gushing 'what a guy' tome.
It is, to a degree, but it's more measured - he's lovable but annoying, driven yet considerate, he's also very human...
I could go on, but he was and remains my comedy hero.
If you want a touching tale that really gets under the skin of a short-lived genius, then read this.

2 people found this helpful

ontrofpp

ジョン・ベルーシマニアなら必読

Reviewed in Japan on May 4, 2014

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80年代にボブ・ウッドーワードが書いた「ベルーシ　最期の事件」を読んだ人、読んだけれども納得できなかった人は必読です。

ジョン・ベルーシの妻ジュディが中心になり、ダン・エイクロイドやSNLのメンバーたち、弟ジム・ベルーシ、ハロルド・ライミスやビル・マーレイ、マネージャーのバーニー・ブリルスタインなどのインタビューを集めています。

おそらく意図的にでしょうが、ウッドワード本に比べ、あまりドラッグ問題には触れられていません。その代わりセカンドシティ、サタデーナイトライブからアニマルハウス、ブルースブラザースまでのベルーシが詳しく語られます。
ブルーノを、ジェイクを、サムライ・フタバで大笑いした人なら読んで楽しい内容です。

英語もそれほど難しくないので、勉強にもちょうどよいです。

One person found this helpful

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Romina

arrivato 12 giorni dopo la stima di arrivo

Reviewed in Italy on July 27, 2020

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Spedizione lenta ma libro ok

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