Boycott Threatened at
Beluschi & Aykroyd-Owned
House of Blues

Clubs owned by the popular entertainers schedules singer who calls for killing gay people

Gay activists are planning protests and a boycott of the House of Blues Chicago nightclub if it goes forward with a scheduled performance by reggae singer Capleton on Thursday, September 23. Jamaican-born Capleton openly calls for killing Lesbian and Gay people in a number of his most prominent songs, and hails from a country widely seen as particularly vicious towards gay people.

In June, Jamaica's most prominent gay rights campaigner, Brian Williamson, was found murdered in a manner that would suggest that it was a hate crime. Gay sex is punishable by up to ten years of hard labor according to the nation's statutes.

One of Capleton's most frequently performed songs is called ""Bun Out Di Chi Chi" which, translated from the Jamaican patois, means "Burn Out The Queer" ("Chi Chi" is pejorative slang for gay people). The song calls for its listeners to "Bun out ah chi chi, Blood out ah chi chi ("Burn out a queer, Blood out a queer). "Blood out" is a particularly violent, graphic expression meaning to chop, cut, stab and shoot.

The Chicago Anti-Bashing Network, the organizer of the protests in this city, has recently confirmed that prominent entertainers Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are sole owners of the House of Blues nightclub chain. CABN is calling upon Belushi and Aykroyd to not besmirch their reputations by playing host to an entertainer who promotes killing any group of people. Belushi can be contacted through his website at the following URL: www.jimbelushi.ws/emailform.htm (Aykroyd does not have a public website).

Numerous attempts to call, email and visit with House of Blues management about the Capleton incident have gone unanswered. Protesters plan a picket of the club at 7 pm this Thursday, September 23 at 329 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago (just north of the Chicago River). If the performance goes forward that evening, all people who oppose hate violence are asked to boycott the House of Blues chain from that day forward. Capleton also has performances scheduled at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, CA (October 4th) and New Orleans (October 11th). In Chicago, the performance is also sponsored by Bud Lite beer (contactus.anheuser-busch.com/contactus/email.asp and 1-800-DIAL-BUD [1-800-342-5283]).

The House of Blues, Chicago, can be contacted as follows:
Visit or write the club at: 329 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone them at: 312-923-2000
FAX them at 312-527-3072
Email them at: chicago (at) hob.com

The URL for the national chain is: www.hob.com/ [click "about House of Blues at bottom of page to access contact information for corporate office]