Rare 1966 Wheaton Central High School yearbook, The Welcomi, 187 pages, 8.5 x 11, signed in blue ballpoint on the last page, “I’ll take you up ongoing [sic] out in your M.G. to go for a ride, right! John Belushi.” Belushi also appears in his (unsigned) junior class photo on page 69, as well as a member of the football team and drama club. The volume is warped and the page edges are stained with mildew and water damage, and emits a strong aroma consistent with such deficiencies. The area surrounding Belushi’s signature, as well as the area immediately around all three of his likenesses, are all in otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by a newspaper article describing how the book was found at a used book sale and purchased for 10 cents.
An over-the-top personality such as Belushi must have found life in conservative Wheaton, Illinois—a Chicago suburb—to be frustrating. Although by some accounts a shy and vulnerable individual, the verbose personage fans came to know began to blossom in junior high school, where he enjoyed sports, learned to play the drums, and was selected for leading roles in plays. By the time he reached Wheaton Central High School, he excelled at everything he put his mind to, eventually becoming co-captain of the football team, Homecoming king, a state finalist in the Original Monologue competition, a lead actor in several productions, and—not surprisingly—voted “Most Humorous” in his class. His participation in sports and acting are in evidence within these pages, as his passion for living life in the fast lane—like taking a ride in his pal’s sports car. Following his 1967 graduation, Belushi became involved in theater and embarked on a path that took him from suburban Chicago to New York, Hollywood, and his 1982 demise. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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