In The Blues Brothers, which soul singer plays Mrs. Murphy, the owner of the orphanage?

In The Blues Brothers, Aretha Franklin plays Mrs. Murphy, the owner of the orphanage.

Mrs. Murphy runs the orphanage where Jake and Elwood Blues grew up. When the brothers learn that the institution faces a tax problem, they decide to reunite their band and raise the money needed to save it. Franklin’s performance of “Think” is one of the film’s major musical set pieces and introduces Mrs. Murphy as a formidable, energetic character.

The role is sometimes confused with the film’s other famous guest performers. James Brown plays Reverend Cleophus James, while Ray Charles appears as a music-store owner. Cab Calloway plays Curtis, and John Lee Hooker performs on the street. Aretha Franklin is specifically the performer behind Mrs. Murphy and “Think.”

The Blues Brothers was released in 1980 and directed by John Landis. It grew from a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The movie combines a road-film plot with performances by major blues, soul, and rhythm-and-blues artists.