Author: Howard Cohen / Source: miamiherald
Few who saw “The Blues Brothers” movie in 1980 and the musical comedy classic’s countless airings on television since could hardly forget Matt “Guitar” Murphy’s contribution.
The famed blues guitarist, who died Friday at 88 in his adopted home of Miami, played the soul food chef and husband to waitress Aretha Franklin.
The couple spar over his desire to reunite with his ne’er-do-well pals, Jake and Elwood Blues, who are on “a mission from God” to put their Blues Brothers band back together again to raise money for a Catholic orphanage in Chicago.The set piece scene featured Franklin’s iconic performance of “Think.” But for all her volcanic energy, Murphy’s declaration that he was “the man” resonated with audiences as he joined Blues Brothers actors Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi on the road.
The death of Murphy resonated, too, in Miami, not least of which by Miami-born R&B icon Sam Moore and his wife, Joyce.
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As one half of Sam & Dave, it was Moore’s 1967 hit with the duo, “Soul Man,” that really put Matt “Guitar” Murphy’s name on the pop culture radar thanks to a Top 20 hit cover rendition by the Blues Brothers in late 1978.
After years of session work, Murphy joined the Blues Brothers band, which was based on a Belushi-Aykroyd sketch on “Saturday Night Live.” There, Murphy played alongside noted session musicians Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Cropper on guitar and Paul Shaffer on keyboards.
The Blues Brothers’ album “Briefcase Full of Blues,” released at the height of the disco era on Atlantic Records, was a surprise No. 1 Billboard hit upon its release in November 1978, with its live, revisionist blues material. Murphy was an essential element of the album’s two Top 40 singles, “Soul Man” and “Rubber Biscuit.”
In 1980, the Blues Brothers covered the work of another Miami musician (turned minister) when they recorded Wayne Cochran‘s “Going Back to Miami.”
Sam Moore, as one-half of Sam & Dave, had a 1967 smash with “Soul Man.” In 1978, the Blues Brothers, which included guitarist Matt “Guitar” Murphy, had a hit remake. Moore called Murphy “true history” of music.
Chris Pizzello AP
On Saturday, Sam and Joyce Moore spoke of their friend. Sam Moore said of Murphy: “Matt was true history. He was one of the nicest guys…
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