Dan Aykroyd

The funnyman opens up on screenwriting, service, and why he’ll never need a shrink.

1) PLAY TIME. I play with “Zee” Blues [Jim Belushi] in Blues Brothers shows across the country. Actually, I just try to honk along as an amplified electric harmonica player. But doing a show is one and a half hours in my life where I truly relax. I don’t think of family problems, business problems, social problems. I just think of delivering the music.

2) SOMETHING FROM NOTHING. I’ve been an actor, musician, dancer, stunt driver, writer, producer, director, radio host, and recording artist. But of all those jobs, writing for the screen and TV was the most fun I’ve had. As a writer, you can create something tangible from nothing. It’s exhausting, but it’s the most satisfying job.

3) SCHOOL OF ROCK. I keep busy these days with projects like the International House of Blues Foundation. We teach kids in disadvantaged areas about blues music, how it evolved from the Mississippi Delta fields through cigar box banjos through church organs through James Brown. Hopefully, the kids learn to make better choices, like picking up a harmonica instead of something that leads to a life on the street.

4) ROAD THERAPY. I mean no disrespect to the psychological profession, but I honestly believe you don’t need a therapist if you own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I’m lucky enough to have a 2003 Harley-Davidson Police FLHP. Just 20 minutes a day riding, and the problems strip away.

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Aykroyd was on-hand in Houston recently to open a brand-new House of Blues downtown. Check out musical lineups, photos, and menus at their website.

From the Conehead patriarch to Steve Martin’s “wild and crazy” Czech brother, some of Aykroyd’s most memorable roles helped make Saturday Night Live a TV staple. Head to nbc.com to watch a collection of Dan’s funniest moments.

Aykroyd calls James Brown one of his musical heroes. Let the “hardest working man in show business” show you how soul is done by listening to some of his hits at this site.