Liberty Lighthouse Journal: DOSSIER: DAN AYKROYD

“You do not need a therapist if you own a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle!”

BORN: July 1^st 1952 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

BIRTH NAME: Daniel Edward Aykroyd

HEIGHT: 6'

DAN AYKROYD - "TRADING PLACES"

Dan grew up in Ottawa, Canada's capital, where his father Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd (1922-2020), a civil engineer, worked as a policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His mother Lorraine Hèléne Marie (1918-2018) was a secretary. His mother was of French Canadian descent and his father English, Scottish, Irish, French and Dutch ancestry. His brother, Peter Aykroyd, was also an actor.

Dan attended St. Pius X and St. Patrick's high schools and studied criminology and sociology at Carleton University. He worked as a comedian in various Canadian nightclubs and ran an after-hours speakeasy, Club 505, in Toronto for several years.

Aykroyd developed his musical career in Ottawa, usually at Le Hibou, a club that featured blues artists. He describes his experience at Le Hibou:

“There was a little disco club there called Le Hibou, which in French means 'the owl'. It was run by a gentleman named Harvey Glatt, and he brought every, and I mean every, blues star that you or I would ever have wanted to have seen through Ottawa in the late '50s, well I guess more late '60s sort of, in around the Newport jazz rediscovery. I was going to Le Hibou and hearing James Cotton, Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins, and Muddy Waters. I actually jammed behind Muddy Waters. S.P. Leary left the drum kit one night, and Muddy said 'anybody out there play drums> I don't have a drummer.' And I walked on stage and we started, I don't know Little Red Rooster, something. He said 'keep that beat going, you make Muddy feel good.' And I heard Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett). Many, many times I saw Howlin' Wolf. As well as the Doors. And of course Buddy Guy, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. So I was exposed to all of these players, playing there as part of this scene to service the academic community in Ottawa, a very well-educated community. Had I lived in a different town I don't think that this would have happened, because it was just the confluence of educated government workers, and then also all the colleges in the area, Ottawa University, Carleton, and all the schools – these people were interested in blues culture”.

Dan's first professional experience, at age of 17, was as a member of the cast of the Canadian sketch comedy series The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour with Lorne Michaels, among others.

DAN & TOM HANKS - "DRAGNET"

Dan gained fame on the American late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL). He was originally hired, and paid $278 week, as a writer for the show, but became a part of the cast before the series premiered. The original cast was referred to on the show as “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players”. Dan was the youngest member of the cast, and appeared on the show for its first four seasons, from 1975 to 1979. He brought his unusual interests, talent as an impersonator, and almost “lunatic intensity” Guest host Eric Idle of Monty Python said that Aykroyd's ability to write and act out characters flawlessly made him the only member of the SNL cast capable of being a Python.

Dan was known for his impersonations of Jimmy Carter, Vincent Price, Richard Nixon, Rod Serling, Tom Snyder, Julia Child, and others. He was also known for his roles as Beldar, father of the Coneheads family; with Steve Martin, Yortuk Festrunk, one of the “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” brothers from Bratislava, Slovakia; sleazy late-night cable TV hose E. Buzz Miller and his cousin, corrupt maker of children's toys and costumes Irin Mainway; Fred Garvin – male prostitute; and high-bred but low-brow critic Leonard Pinth-Garnell. Dan and Jane Curtin parodied the Point/Counterpoint segment on the CBS news show 60 Minutes, which featured the liberal Shana Alexander and the conservative James Kilpatrick, by portraying the two as hating one another; Dan's first words in response to Curtin's point were, “Jane, you ignorant slut!”

Dan was a close friend with fellow cast member John Belushi, but Dan was more reserved and less self-destructive. He would later recall that, unlike Belushi and others, he was uninterested in recreational drug use.

In 1977, Dan received an Emmy Award for writing on SNL, he later received two nominations for writing and one for acting.

In later decades, Dan would occasionally make a guest appearance or unannounced cameo on SNL, often impersonating American politician, Bob Dole.

In 1995, he appeared on the show to introduce a performance by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He was a fan of the band so he personally lobbied for them to be booked as musical guests.

During some guest appearances, he resurrected the Blues Brothers musical act with John Goodman in place of Belushi.

Dan met John Belushi at a club and he played a blues record in the background, which brought Belushi into the fold of blues appreciation. Dan educated Belushi on the finer points of blues music, which led with the help of SNL music director Paul Shaffer, to the creation of their Blues Brothers characters.

Backed by professional R&B lead guitarist Steve Cropper, sax man Lou Marini, trumpeter Alan Rubin, and bass guitarist Donald Dunn, the Blues Brothers became a popular novelty on SNL. Becoming a legitimate musical act, they performed live gigs and in 1978 released the hit album Briefcase Full of Blues. The band was even more popularized in the 1980 The Blues Brothers film, which Dan Aykroyd co-wrote. A sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998 and featured John Goodman as Belushi's replacement.

Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles was a regular haunt for the original Blues Brothers in the early days of the band. The Blues Brothers Band continues to tour today, both with and without Aykroyd. The band features the original members Cropper and Marini, along with vocalist Eddie Floyd. Dan sometimes performs as Elwood, along with Belushi's brother Jim Belushi. They are most frequently backed by the Sacred Hearts Band.

After leaving SNL, Dan starred in a number of films, mostly comedies. His first three American films co-starred Belushi. The first, 1941 (1979), directed by Steven Spielberg. Second, The Blues Brothers (1980), which he co-wrote with director John Landis was a massive hit. The third, Neighbors (1981) was another box-office hit.

One of Dan's best performances was in Trading Places (1983), co-starring with Eddie Murphy (SNL) and Jamie Lee Curtis.

In early 1980s, Dan worked on a script for the film that would become Ghostbusters, inspired by his fascination with parapsychology and his belief in ghosts. Initially the script included time travel, but this was eliminated by the work on the script with Harold Ramis (co-writer) and director Ivan Reitman. The film earned $300 million on a $30 million budget.

Dan's next major film was the spy comedy Spies Like Us (1985), which was co-written by Dan and directed by Landis. Chevy Chase (SNL) was the co-star. The film was intended to be a tribute to the Hope/Crosby Road films (1940s to 1960s). Bob Hope made a cameo appearance in the film.

Dan co-starred in Dragnet with Tom Hanks in which he co-wrote, released in 1987. The film was a tribute and satire of the Dragnet series.

In 1988, Dan appeared in five films, all of them critical and commercial failures.

A sequel to Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, was released in 1989. Columbia Pictures pressured them to produce a sequel, while Dan and co-creators were reluctant. The sequel was another big hit, but considered inferior to the original. It earned $215 million.

Aykroyd was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Dan was the fourth SNL cast member to be nominated for an Oscar.

Dan made his directorial debut with Nothing But Trouble (1991) starring Demi Moore, Chevy Chase, John Candy, and Aykroyd, who sported a bulbous prosthetic nose. The film was a critical and box-office flop (but I thought it was good).

Dan's other films of the 1990s were also poorly received: Coneheads, Exit to Eden, Blues Brothers 2000, and Getting Away with Murder. Three that were not flops: My Girl (1991), starring Jamie Lee Curtis; Tommy Boy (1995), starring David Spade and Chris Farley; Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), in which Dan played a role as a rival hit man.

In 1994, Dan made a guest appearance in an episode of The Nanny as a refrigerator repair man.

In 1998, Dan voiced the role of Chip the wasp in Antz.

In 2001, he starred in The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

Most of his film roles since then have been mostly small character parts such as signals analyst in Pearl Harbor and a neurologist in 50 First Dates.

In 2009, Dan and Ramis wrote and appeared in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, which featured Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

In 2013, Dan voiced the Scarecrow in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.

In 2015, he appeared in a State Farm insurance commercial along with Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman as the Coneheads.

In 2021, Dan reprised the role of Dr. Ray Stantz in the movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

BUSINESS VENTURES

In 1992, Dan and Hard Rock Cafe co-founder Isaac Tigrett founded the House of Blues, a chain of music venues to promote African-American cultural contributions of blues music and folk art. It began as a single location in Cambridge, Massachusetts and then a venue in New Orleans in 1994 and other locations thereafter. In 2004, House of Blues became the second-largest live music promoter in the world, with seven venues and 22 amphitheaters in the United States and Canada. It was bought by Live Nation in 2006.

In 2007, Dan and artist John Alexander founded Crystal Head Vodka, a high-end vodka known for its skull shaped bottled and filtered through Herkimer diamond crystals.

Dan is also part owner of several wineries in Canada's Niagara Peninsula and the company that distributes Patrón tequila in Canada.

In 2016, Dan partnered with TV producers Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey and game developer Ike McFadden to release an online-casino game that features the Blues Brothers. Dan provided the in-game voice of his Elwood Blues character.

PERSONAL LIFE

Dan was briefly engaged to actress Carrie Fisher, whom he proposed to on the set of The Blues Brothers. The engagement ended when she reconciled with her former boyfriend Paul Simon.

In 1983, he married actress Donna Dixon, whom he met on the set of Doctor Detroit released in 1983. They appeared together in four additional films: Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983); Spies Like Us (1985); The Couch Trip (1988); and Exit to Eden (1994). They have three daughters, including Danielle (known by her stage name, Vera Sola). The couple announced in April of 2022 that they were separating after 39 years of marriage, but would remain legally married.

Aykroyd has a longtime residence in Sydenham, Ontario with his estate on Loughborough Lake.

In 2009, Dan contributed a series of reminiscences on his upbringing in Canada for a charity album Dan Aykroyd's Canada. He started the Blue Line Foundation that redevelops flood-damaged lots in New Orleans and helped first responders buy them at reduced prices. Aykroyd is a member of Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

In 2004 in an NPR interview with host Terry Gross, Dan said that he had been diagnosed as a child with Tourette syndrome, but said it was successfully treated with therapy.

Dan is a former reserve commander for the police department in Harahan, Louisiana, working for Chief of Police Peter Dale. Dan carried his badge with him at all times. He currently serves as a reserve deputy of the Hinds Country Sheriff's Department in Hinds County, Mississippi. He supports the reserves with a fundraiser concert along with other blues and gospel singers in Mississippi.

Dan's is passionate for outdoor activities, geology and paleontology. This led him to join Canadian paleontologist Dr. Philip J. Currie on a number of digs, including fundraising digs and galas as fundraisers for the construction of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum in Wembley, Alberta. Dan's contributions were recognized by naming its theatre the Aykroyd Family Theatre.

Dan considers himself a spiritualist. His great-grandfather, a dentist, was a mystic who corresponded with author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on the subject of Spiritualism and was a member of the Lily Dale Society. Dan is also interested in aspects of the paranormal, particularly UFOlogy. He is a lifetime member and official consultant for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). He served from 1996 to 2000 as host of Psi Factor Chronicles of the Paranormal.

Dan produced the DVD Dan Aykroyd: Unplugged on UFOs.

On September 29^th 2009, Peter Aykroyd Sr., Dan's father, published a book entitled A History of Ghosts. The book chronicles the family's historical involvement in Spiritualism. Dan wrote the introduction and accompanied his father on a series of promotional activities.

TRIVIA

As an avid blues fan, Dan hosted a nationally syndicated radio show “House of Blues: as his Blues Brothers character Elwood Blues.
His grandfather was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
He is a Roman Catholic and can trace his ancestry to the 15^th century.
On his passport, he lists his occupation as “Writer”.
Has played harmonica since he was 17 years old.
Once he helped to subdue a drunk and disorderly passenger on a Montreal-to-Los Angeles flight.
After working together on three films, Jamie Lee Curtis, called him the best “screen kisser”.
Proposed to Donna Dixon on Fran Drescher's porch. Drescher played a major role in getting them together, after they all starred in Doctor Detroit (1983) together.
He met John Belushi in a Chicago speakeasy and discussed the possibility of Dan joining Saturday Night Live (1975). Belushi being primarily a fan of heavy metal, became fascinated with blues after meeting with Dan.
Dan was born with heterochromia – one blue eye and one green eye.
His original idea for Ghostbusters (1984) was where an army of Ghostbusters fought hordes of ghosts.
He used to refer to the green Slimer ghost from Ghostbusters as “the ghost of John Belushi”, because it reminded him of his friend.
Dan is ambidextrous.
A big fan of The Beach Boys and his first written sketch was a documentary The Beach Boys: It's OK (1976).
Dan and Bill Murray resumed their “Ghostbusters” roles to visit a terminally ill child who was a fan of the film and wanted to meet them.
Spends every Canada Day (July 1^st, also his birthday) performing civic duty in Kingston, Ontario and one year was appointed a Citizenship Judge where he swore in some immigrants as Canadian citizens.
Dan and his wife, Donna, are big fans of Paleontology and natural history as is their three daughters who all appeared on the 2014 airing of Born to Explore (2011) with host Richard Weise.
Dan appeared in two films concerning the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor: 1941 (1979) and Pearl Harbor (2001).
Dan was considered for the role of Alan Parish in Jumanji (1995), but it went to Robin Williams.
He was considered for Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
He was considered for the Master in Doctor Who: The Movie (1996).
He was considered for Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones (1994).