Belushi : A Biography

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.

JUDITH BELUSHI PISANO is the author of the memoir Samurai Widow and coauthor and designer of Titters, Titters 101, Blues Brothers: Private and The Mom Book. She lives on Martha’s Vineyard.

TANNER COLBY is a writer. He lives in New York City.