Murphy Dunne
Encyclopedia
Murphy Dunne is an American
actor
and musician
. He is known for his role as the keyboardist/pianist for the Blues Brothers
in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers
. He reprised his role in the sequel, Blues Brothers 2000
. Dunne was given the role after the original choice, Paul Shaffer
, could not accept the part due to contractual obligations with "Saturday Night Live
", as well as his choice to take part in Gilda Live
instead, which turned out to be a flop. Dunne performed live with the band on their 1980 album, Made in America
.
Dunne played himself in both of the two Blues Brothers films, with a fictional storyline: "Murph" Dunne was an original member of the Blues Brothers until "Joliet" Jake went to prison in the 1970s. He then started his own band called "Murph and the MagicTones" along with four other ex-Blues Brothers Band members. While performing a regular set at the Armada Room in a Chicago area Holiday Inn
, Jake and Elwood Blues again approached the band to reform the Blues Brothers band. After a brief tour, Murph was sent to prison with the rest of the Blues Brothers Band. In real life, Dunne was the son of Cook County Board President George Dunne
, whose connections helped get some of the Chicago clearances for movie shoot sites.
Active in public service at an early age Dunne was Precinct Captain of the 42nd ward, know more widely as Rush Street, home to many music venues. It was in these clubs that he became aware that music was to be his life's pursuit. To hone his piano playing skills he could frequently be found practicing in a back room of Lake Shore Park. It was there he became involved with The Chicago Air and Water Show.
Dunne was one of the founders of a neighborhood bank on Rush Street which served many of the local clubs.
Paragon Studios was a state-of-the-art facility in the 42nd ward where Dunne spent many hours recording his first album with the Conception Corporation.
In addition to his work with the Blues Brothers, he has acted in many television shows like Night Court
and has done voice acting
. He can be heard in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
, Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex and in the game, Star Trek: Klingon Academy
. Dunne was also a member of the early 70s comedy ensemble The Conception Corporation
.
Dunne was also the co-producer of Chicago's first Free Blues Festival, with such notables as Willie Dixon, Steve Cropper, Albert King and many others. The concerts were presented in the Grant Park Band Shell in 1969.
Owing to his strong connections to the City of Chicago, Dunne returned to the city from his Malibu home to marry. He and his wife took their vows aboard the yacht Anita Dee anchored a mile off Oak Street beach where Dunne had been a Mate with the Chicago Park District.
When in Chicago Dunne can frequently be seen at Al's Beef Stand on Taylor Street and Ina's Restaurant on West Randolph Street.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is known for his role as the keyboardist/pianist for the Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
. He reprised his role in the sequel, Blues Brothers 2000
Blues Brothers 2000
Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 American musical comedy film that is a sequel to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Directed by John Landis, the film featured Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman, with cameos by many musicians.-Plot:...
. Dunne was given the role after the original choice, Paul Shaffer
Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
, could not accept the part due to contractual obligations with "Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
", as well as his choice to take part in Gilda Live
Gilda Live
Gilda Live is an American film released in 1980 starring Gilda Radner. It was directed by Mike Nichols and was produced by Lorne Michaels. Radner and Michaels and all of the writers involved with the production were alumni from the television program Saturday Night Live.-Summary:Gilda Live is a...
instead, which turned out to be a flop. Dunne performed live with the band on their 1980 album, Made in America
Made in America (Blues Brothers album)
Made in America is the third album by The Blues Brothers. The second live album by the band, it was released in December 1980 as a followup to their hit film released that year, The Blues Brothers. Commercially and critically it did not fare as well as their previous two albums, 1978's Briefcase...
.
Dunne played himself in both of the two Blues Brothers films, with a fictional storyline: "Murph" Dunne was an original member of the Blues Brothers until "Joliet" Jake went to prison in the 1970s. He then started his own band called "Murph and the MagicTones" along with four other ex-Blues Brothers Band members. While performing a regular set at the Armada Room in a Chicago area Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
, Jake and Elwood Blues again approached the band to reform the Blues Brothers band. After a brief tour, Murph was sent to prison with the rest of the Blues Brothers Band. In real life, Dunne was the son of Cook County Board President George Dunne
George Dunne
George W. Dunne was an American Democratic Party politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1969 to 1991; the longest service of anyone holding that office....
, whose connections helped get some of the Chicago clearances for movie shoot sites.
Active in public service at an early age Dunne was Precinct Captain of the 42nd ward, know more widely as Rush Street, home to many music venues. It was in these clubs that he became aware that music was to be his life's pursuit. To hone his piano playing skills he could frequently be found practicing in a back room of Lake Shore Park. It was there he became involved with The Chicago Air and Water Show.
Dunne was one of the founders of a neighborhood bank on Rush Street which served many of the local clubs.
Paragon Studios was a state-of-the-art facility in the 42nd ward where Dunne spent many hours recording his first album with the Conception Corporation.
In addition to his work with the Blues Brothers, he has acted in many television shows like Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
and has done voice acting
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. He can be heard in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
, known internationally as Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, is a 2001 animated film directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. The screenplay was written by Keiko Nobumoto, based on the Cowboy Bebop television series created by Sunrise. The plot centers on Spike Spiegel and his crew as they find a criminal who is...
, Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex and in the game, Star Trek: Klingon Academy
Star Trek: Klingon Academy
Star Trek: Klingon Academy, also known as Klingon Academy, is a starship combat Space flight simulator computer game developed by 14 Degrees East, an internal development house of publisher Interplay Entertainment...
. Dunne was also a member of the early 70s comedy ensemble The Conception Corporation
The Conception Corporation
The Conception Corporation was an American comedy ensemble consisting of Murphy Dunne, Howard R. Cohen, Ira Miller, and Jeff Begun. They recorded three albums between 1970 and 1973. Cohen died in 1998...
.
Dunne was also the co-producer of Chicago's first Free Blues Festival, with such notables as Willie Dixon, Steve Cropper, Albert King and many others. The concerts were presented in the Grant Park Band Shell in 1969.
Owing to his strong connections to the City of Chicago, Dunne returned to the city from his Malibu home to marry. He and his wife took their vows aboard the yacht Anita Dee anchored a mile off Oak Street beach where Dunne had been a Mate with the Chicago Park District.
When in Chicago Dunne can frequently be seen at Al's Beef Stand on Taylor Street and Ina's Restaurant on West Randolph Street.