Curtis Salgado - the original Blues Brother
March 6, 2006 8:11 AM   Subscribe

"John Belushi is here," Curtis Salgado said to his bandmates after that fateful show in Eugene, Oregon, one evening in 1977 (pdf). "[We said, 'Who's John Belushi?' because for as long as we could remember, we'd always had to work on Saturday nights."
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (16 comments total)
 
Wow, this guy's amazing, thanks!
posted by doctor_negative at 8:33 AM on March 6, 2006


[W [W], of course.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:36 AM on March 6, 2006


Being an Oregonian, I had always heard the lore about local fave Salgado being an inspiration for the Blues Brothers, but I'd never read anything actually documenting it. Thanks! Great link.
posted by Heminator at 8:43 AM on March 6, 2006


bringing blues records over to his house. He was not listening to the blues — this man was nowhere near it. He was listening to Blue Oyster Cult and Ozzie,

I never knew Belushi was SO out of it.

I thought everyone (past 16) in that era had made the obvious and short leap from pop-rock to blues. Did he NEVER read a word said by ANY rocker from that time? Blues was ALL they yammered about.

What a sheltered life he must have led.
posted by HTuttle at 8:50 AM on March 6, 2006


I saw him open for Steve Miller in Dallas (When he was with the Stilettos) about 12 years ago or so - guy is a hell of a singer, and as I recall (memories are hazy) he blew a mean harp, too.
posted by TeamBilly at 8:53 AM on March 6, 2006


The Eugene Hotel was wonderful to see music in. . .we used to sit and listen to some GREAT music, and watch the hoookers work, meeting up, leaving, then returning alone. I got to Eugene after Salgado had left the Cray band, but Robert was still pretty wonderful to listen to. Richard Cousins was in the band then, and every bit as eye-catching as Robert.

It's a retirement home now, alas.
posted by Danf at 9:01 AM on March 6, 2006


What's with Oregon and blues harmonica players?
posted by three blind mice at 9:20 AM on March 6, 2006


I think it's funny that he's bitter about Belushi stealing his act. Wasn't Salgado stealing his act from authentic blues artists for years? Why is his band an hommage and Belushi's a rip-off? Because he was into it longer?
posted by chococat at 9:37 AM on March 6, 2006


I think it's funny that he's bitter about Belushi stealing his act. Wasn't Salgado stealing his act from authentic blues artists for years? Why is his band an hommage and Belushi's a rip-off? Because he was into it longer?

Yup. "Stealing" from "authentic" artists wasn't really part of the process; being devoted to a form of music, learning it from the masters, and then going on to do it yourself is part of what music is about. I won't claim Curtis is the most influential or original blues artist around, but I would certainly call him an important part of blues history, not an impostor.

I'm sure the Blues Brothers act wasn't intended as a rip-off, and was meant only with respect; it's just that never came across that way to the public (or, I suspect, to Aykroyd). They saw comedians in skinny black ties flopping around onstage, and they laughed, and that's what it was about; the music was secondary. It had nothing to do with blues, really, and everything to do with Belushi being who he was.
posted by medialyte at 10:54 AM on March 6, 2006


It doesn't help, either, that the Blues Brothers only got an audience because they were already famous from SNL. If they had done the usual hard work of honing their act and building a musical career from the ground up, they might have gotten more respect from other musicians.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:00 AM on March 6, 2006


(Of course, I loved the Blues Brothers movie, and I'm sure they put on a helluva show — after all, they were two guys with great stage presence and decent voices, and they had some of the world's best studio musicians backing them up.

I guess the difference between Salgado and John Belushi is one of time and discretion. Salgado spent years and years imitating some of his musical idols — as well as making the conscious decision not to imitate others, and so developing his own style. John Belushi decided on a whim that the blues was cool and lifted a lot of his schtick from the first blues act he ever saw.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:12 AM on March 6, 2006


You'd think he'd have learned his lesson and just hung up when Bruce Willis later called. But noooooooo!
posted by hal9k at 11:44 AM on March 6, 2006


Hobo - "Welcome to bumbase alpha the biggest hobo village in the quadrent.".

Bender - "I've seen bigger... oh wait, I'm thinking of Eugene, Oregon."
posted by pwb503 at 12:03 PM on March 6, 2006


being devoted to a form of music, learning it from the masters, and then going on to do it yourself is part of what music is about.

Sure, but if it's all about the music then he shouldn't be upset at the commercial success of the Blues Brothers; he shouldn't care. He kind of comes off as, "hey, I was wearing dark glasses first."
You can't be all purist about it and then get jealous of the dumb trendy fame the Blues Brothers received.

(I'm completely Devil's Advocat here, I was only ever mildly amused by the Blues Brothers and this is my introduction to Curtis Salgado.)
posted by chococat at 1:14 PM on March 6, 2006


He was listening to Blue Oyster Cult

And we know where *that* lead us.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 1:47 PM on March 6, 2006


What the hell is wrong with Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult?
Christ. I had no idea Blues aficionados could be so goddamned pretentious. I though blues was supposd to be anti-pretention?

I have to admit I thought the Blues Brothers were dull and always kind of dug Cray (used to see him in Spokane all the time). I had no idea there was a connection.

However, Salgado, if had any business sense at all, could have cashed in if he really wanted 20 years ago. He says he didn't want to. Right. That's why he sounds bitter he DIDN'T?
posted by tkchrist at 3:48 PM on March 6, 2006


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