The day John Belushi came to Wick
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A BLUES Brother isn’t a Blues Brother without a hat and what better place to purchase the trademark center-dent, front-pinch, stingy-brim fedora than Wick High Street in 1980?
John Landis had just finished his musical comedy The Blues Brothers and one of its principal actors, John Belushi, embarked on a tour to promote the film that saw him land at Wick airport on a holiday break in August 1980.
Belushi was little known in the UK at the time of his visit but a big name in the US with regular TV appearances on Saturday Night Live where he developed the “Joliet Jake” character opposite his on-screen brother “Elwood Blues” played by Dan Akroyd.
During a tour around the country to promote The Blues Brothers – due for a UK release in October 1980 – Belushi took a break and looking for anonymity arrived at Wick Airport where driver Jimmy Bruce picked him up.
Jimmy passed away in 1996 but his son Colin – who now lives with wife Audrey in Canada – has fond memories of meeting the legendary actor when he was 15. Colin said that his dad worked with the council driving lorries but also did chauffeur work for Claire Harper the undertaker.
He said that his dad drove up to him on the High Street one afternoon and told him he was heading to the airport to “meet some American toff” wanting a holiday.
The so-called “toff” turned out to be John Belushi, and Jimmy Bruce was employed to drive him out to Freswick Castle where he would stay during his week’s break in Caithness with his wife Judy.
“I got involved when my dad had to go out to the castle one evening because the owner, Captain Gerald Newell, said his visitors wanted to see the sunset,” remembers Colin.
As Colin and his father drove up to the steps of the castle where Captain Newell stood alongside Belushi and his wife, his dad said to him: “’At’s ’e Yank ’er, ’e little chiel.”
As Colin’s dad opened the car door he shouted: “I’ve brought ma loon wi’ me, hope ye dinna mind, he’s bored wi’ ’e holidays.”
Colin was mortified and stayed in the car “in case it wasn’t ok”.
“As you can imagine at that time of year in Caithness the sun sets late in the evening and my dad, who knew the county like the back of his hand, could drive them about and tell them little anecdotes about the places and people of the area.”
Colin recalled how his father told the couple who lived in each croft as they made their way to John o’ Groats.
Both of them wore sunglasses – a trademark image of The Blues Brothers characters.
“Judy took a few photos and John wanted to know if he could go fishing.”
They journeyed around Duncansby Head, the Castle of Mey, Dunnet Head, Castletown, Thurso and various villages over the week and Colin found the actor “incredibly friendly”.
Colin said he was over the moon when asked if he’d like to go on a fishing trip.
Belushi’s wife Judy didn’t want to fish and was happy to sit reading while her husband and Colin set off from John o’ Groats on a small creel boat one morning.
“She used to read two books at the same time, a chapter from one, then a chapter from the other. I thought that was both cool and weird.”
Colin remembered the sea was fairly choppy that morning and after landing three mackerel the actor started to feel sick so they headed for shore.
“He was glad to get off and took a few minutes to get himself together before getting back in the car,” he said.
Colin said Belushi needed bodyguards in the US at all times but loved the fact he wasn’t recognised in Wick. He bought hats in Fred Shearer’s shop as well as a tweed jacket.
“He couldn’t get over that this small town had hats that fitted him off the peg,” he said.
When it came time to leave, Belushi left the boy a memento – a Walkman with a cassette of his favourite music which he cherishes to this day. He was also sent an album of The Blues Brothers music used in the film.
Alison Green (née Munro) also met Belushi at Freswick Castle. Her father, Donald Munro, was a police constable at the time and another driver for the Hollywood actor.
“I was only 13 at the time and hadn’t a clue who he was. I just remember him as a wee fat guy in the back of the car,” she said.
Alison did have the foresight, however, to ask for an autograph which she now treasures and has framed on her wall.
The Blues Brothers film went on to become a major success but the “wee fat guy” had little time to bask in the limelight. John Belushi died from a drug overdose less than two years after his Caithness holiday.
