House of Blues
With 13 locations across the U.S., the House of Blues has become a mainstay in American culture as a restaurant and concert venue. The first location was opened in Cambridge, Mass., in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe, with the support of numerous backers, including Dan Aykroyd, Aerosmith, Paul Shaffer, River Phoenix and James Belushi. While the business was acquired by Live Nation in 2006, Aykroyd and Belushi remain closely associated with the brand — perhaps because of their personal ties to blues music. In the late 70s, Aykroyd and John Belushi, James' brother, created a band called the Blues Brothers as part of a Saturday Night Live sketch. While the band started off as no more than a comedy sketch, it soon took on a life of its own. The Blues Brothers Band went on to release a few albums, and had two movies — The Blues Brothers and The Blues Brothers 2000 — created around its characters. As for the House of Blues, even though the establishment was originally based on soul music and soul food, the venue has since expanded to cater to a larger audience and now showcases musical acts from all genres.