Dunnellon’s Blues Brothers statues restored after vandalism - Dunnellon, Florida, USA - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

By Andy Fillmore / Correspondent
Posted October 28, 2016, 9:49 AM
Updated October 30, 2016 4:48 PM

The iconic Jake and Elwood Blues statures outside the Two Rivers Inn in Dunnellon were damaged in September. Marion County artist Shannon Lamb repaired and repainted the brothers. “I was on a mission from God,” joked Lamb, 47, of Reddick, echoing a line from the film. Lamb said he did the work at no charge because he was so moved by the outpouring from residents accustomed to seeing the brothers jazz it up downtown and newcomers and visitors who use the statues for a photo opportunity.

DUNNELLON — The Blues Brothers are back on the corner of West Pennsylvania Avenue and Cedar Street, rocking out in their black suits, hats, ties and dark glasses, and white socks.

The statues outside the Two Rivers Inn were repaired after the originals were damaged by vandals in early September. The life-size and life-like painted fiberglass statues of Jake and Elwood Blues sport real sunglasses labeled with the name of the inn and are frozen in the midst of a high energy song and wild dance from the 1980 movie “The Blues Brothers.”

Marion County artist Shannon Lamb repaired and repainted the brothers.

“I was on a mission from God,” Lamb, 47, of Reddick, said jokingly, echoing a line from the film. Lamb said he did the work at no charge because he was so moved by the outpouring from residents accustomed to seeing the brothers jazz it up downtown and newcomers and visitors who use the statues for a photo opportunity.

Lamb said the statues had been knocked over like in a “football tackle.” He said the Elwood Blues likeness “had his legs broken” and a foot removed and Jake Blues was also damaged.

Lamb, owner of “In the Mind’s Eye” custom artistry and chainsaw art, who has done private and commercial murals, said he happened to be working nearby and saw the damage and offered to repair and repaint the statues. He said he filled the legs with concrete for greater stability and used urethane and acrylic paints, with a clear coat for the finish. He set them on a solid platform.

Lamb said he has gotten more than 1,000 “likes” on a Facebook page post about the landmark statues.

Two Rivers Inn manager Doreen Cox, who praised Lamb’s artistry, said donations went toward concrete, fiberglass and paint to fix and renew the brothers.

“I couldn’t believe the outpouring,” Cox said of the local community

Cox said the vandals “even removed the eyeballs.”

Viola Soffe, owner of Viola’s Emporium/Stitch Niche, one of several specialty shop in the “historic village” area about a block north of the inn, said the community was “devastated” when the Blue Brothers left the corner.

We got together and raised $337 to help repair the statues,” said Soffe.

Kathleen Wallace, with the Dunnellon Area Chamber of Commerce, said the statues are “definitely a tourist attraction.”

“We had a booth next to the statues at the recent Dunnellon Jazz It Up Festival and it was non-stop camera action,” Wallace said.

The history of the local statues is tied to the 20-suite Two Rivers Inn, part of which is constructed from what once were barracks at the Marion County Airport at Dunnellon when the location served as a school for World War II glider pilots.

J.R. Lang, who has owned the inn for about 18 years, said military barracks were used in a former motor court at the site.

“The original owner moved the barracks here in the 1950s,” Lang said.

Lang, who owns hotels in states including North Dakota, said he found the Blues Brothers statues in Georgia and first placed them at a karaoke spot in his J.R.’s Sports Pub and then moved them to the inn.

Lang said similar likenesses of the Blues Brothers are in front of his other hotels. He said the statues are used to help locate the hotels and “a lot of people stop to take a picture.”

“The Blues Brothers” movie features Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues and John Belushi as Jake Blues. The plot revolves around the brothers “mission from God” after Jake is released from prison and the two set about trying to “put the band back together” to raise $5,000 to keep the orphanage where they were raised operating. James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Cab Calloway are among the musicians and singers in the cast.

Lamb said he watched the movie again to check details for his work and that now he himself feels like one of the band.

“The Blues Brothers have another brother now,” he said with a grin.

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 10/28/2016 Publication: Ocala Star Banner Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Crime

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