The Two Johns

Watching the latest exercise in the destruction of Charlie Sheen got me thinking about celebrity addictions and two of my favorite performers: John Candy and John Belushi. Both died young, brought down by their problems. The difference between them and Sheen is that while both Candy and Belushi tried to beat their demons, Sheen revels in them...John Candy was born in Canada and grew up loving American tv. He was a shy,overweight , sensitive child who made people laugh. In his early twenties , after quitting his job as a Kleenex salesman-- yep,  Kleenex--- Candy joined the Toronto branch of The Second City and his career was on the way. That led to the late, great show ''SCTV'' and a host of memorable characters like Johnny La Rue and the Schmengee Brothers. His film debut was with his buddies Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi  in Steven Spielberg's ''1941''. The Blues Brothers, Stripes,  Only The Lonely, and, a bunch of other movies followed. My favorite performance of his was in''Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.'' He played a character--opposite the great Steve Martin--- who tried so hard to please and be liked that he ended up turning people off to him.That left him sad and lonely. And, there was always something sad and lonely about John Candy. Perhaps , that is what was behind his addiction to food. John Candy passed away at age 42 in 1994... John Belushi, by contrast, was a force of nature that took life on at full speed. No time wasted for him, he took the world for a ride and the world loved him. Belushi was born in Wheaton, Illinois, the son of a restaurant owner--- the famous ''cheeseburger, cheeseburger, no chips'' SNL sketch was based on his dad's restaurant. John was the popular student, Homecoming King, star football athlete, and everybody's friend. Like Candy,  he had the remarkable ability to make strangers laugh, which led to the Chicago's Second City and The National Lampoon Show ''Lemmings'' in New York. John, when he went to NYC, never forgot his friends, which led to him bringing his friends, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, and Dan Aykroyd to the forefront of comedy. He is  perhaps the best known and loved member of SNL. Inventing the Blues Brothers with his partner and best friend Dan Aykroyd, Belushi trailblazed comedy for the next 3 decades. However, this man of vast appetites and lust for life could not control his intensity and died in 1982  at the age of 33of an overdose of cocaine and heroin... These are just broad brush strokes of two great performers--- there are books and biography specials to give you the complete picture. What must be remembered is that these two men knew their problems and fought them--- sadly, losing in the end. They didn't want to die. They knew they were blessed. I wish they had conquered their demons and lived long lives. Charlie Sheen???--- I don't have that feeling.