VIDEO: Bill Murray Rocks, Shocks Westgate Las Vegas Blues Fest

The Big Blues Bender festival in Las Vegas has hosted some pretty big names since it was founded 10 years ago. Included on that list are none other than Buddy Guy, B.B. King, and Taj Mahal. The biggest name this year was supposed to be Beth Hart until a surprise guest joined Chicago’s Blood Brothers for this year’s opening night on Wednesday.

It was fellow Chicagoan and beloved matinee idol Bill Murray. Though never a Blues Brother, and known primarily in the music world for poking fun at lounge singers on “Saturday Night Live,” the 73-year-old delivered an impassioned, thoroughly serviceable performance on the stage where Elvis once sang.

The ”Groundhog Day” star wasn’t announced beforehand, or even introduced, to the International Theater crowd, whose excitement level slowly grew as it realized what was happening.

Murray began with a rollicking rendition of “Slow Down,” the 1957 Larry Williams song made more famous by the Beatles seven years later. He then flubbed the lyrics to his follow-up choice, Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” while trying to read them from an iPad. But the audience was more than forgiving, loudly assisting the 2004 Oscar nominee by shouting the chorus.

Check it out for yourself…

As usual with the famously reclusive legend, if he shows up anywhere, there’s a good reason. And, on Wednesday, it was to help raise money and awareness for the Blues Foundation’s Handy Artists Relief Trust (HART) Fund, which helps pay the medical, dental, and funeral costs of blues musicians.

This year’s performance and auction raised $107K.

Big Blues Bender, which runs through Sunday, began at the Riviera in 2014, then switched to the Westgate when the Riv shuttered in 2015. The HART party, its annual kickoff event, has been a staple of the festival since 2016.