Why Ronnie Wood had a problem with “fat git” John Belushi
Among many famous rock musicians, John Belushi was a kindred spirit. The hefty comedian became a hero to a number of rock fans and practitioners thanks to his performance in National Lampoon’s 1973 stage show Lemmings, a send-up of festivals and the hippie movement. Thanks to his spot-on takedown of the Woodstock generation, Belushi was able to become friends with a number of real-life rock stars, including Willie Nelson and members of the Grateful Dead.
An exception to the rule comes from none other than Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Although Belushi would befriend Keith Richards, as preserved in a few photos from the late 1970s, it was a more difficult situation with Wood. According to the guitarist, that was because Belushi was constantly trying to sleep with his then-wife.
“He always used to try to get off with my ex-wife, Jo,” Wood told Ian Fortnam in 2022. “He used to propose to her when I was asleep. I’d say: ‘John, I can hear you, you fat git. If you weren’t so fat and ugly you might stand a chance.’ Like all comedians he was really pathetic, and he had a low tolerance to alcohol and drugs.”
Wood’s claim that Belushi was something of a lightweight when it came to illicit substances is probably the most surprising part of the story. Wood also remembered that Belushi’s comedy partner in crime, Dan Aykroyd, would bring Belushi to Wood’s house in Los Angeles when he went in too enthusiastically.
“Dan Aykroyd used to always put him in my care when he came to Hollywood,” Wood added. “He used to drop him off at my house and say: ‘I know he’s safe now, I can go off and leave him.’ Then he’d go off and do his stuff. The only time he didn’t do that was when he died. John booked himself into the Chateau Marmont. He dearly wanted to be a rock star.”
Belushi would get the chance to live out his rock star fantasies when he formed The Blues Brothers with Aykroyd in 1978. For the duo’s debut live album, Briefcase Full of Blues, Aykroyd and Belushi assembled an all-star team of musicians to perform a full concert opening up for Steve Martin at his September 9th show at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Later that year, The Blues Brothers opened up for the Grateful Dead during their New Year’s Eve show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
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