(L-R) John Belushi, Matt Murphy – Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns(NEW YORK) — Dan Aykroyd is mourning the death of Matt “Guitar” Murphy, who passed away Thursday at 88 years old. “The Blues Brothers would not have been what they were without Matt’s playing power, stage magnetism and knowledge of music,” tweeted Aykroyd “aka Elwood Blues.”
The official Blues Brothers Instagram page showed footage of Murphy in action, belting out “Shotgun Blues.”
Before and after joining the Blues Brothers — the band was born of a Saturday Night Live sketch that also featured the late John Belushi — Murphy played with blues legends including Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. He played himself in the 1980s The Blues Brothers movie, as a member of the band.
Murphy’s nephew Floyd Murphy Jr., with whom Murphy also played, noted his uncle died Thursday evening. He memorialized his uncle on his own Facebook page, writing: “I can’t feel a freaking thing in my body now but I must stay strong cause he was a strong man that lived a long long fruitfull [sic] life that poured his heart out in every guitar solo he took… yes the master is up stairs now with my father and mother, uncle Melvin Murphy, Jimmy Biggins, Eric Udell, Alan Ruben, BB King, Etta James… the list is just way too long folks but there all together again doing what there known for across the world ….love you uncle tell dad hi for me…. May you RIP.”
According to Rolling Stone, Murphy suffered a stroke in 2002 that led the music veteran into “semi retirement.”
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