As you all may or may not know, Don Cornelius, the innovative man behind the longest running black music television show Soul Train died on February 1, 2012, the beginning of Black History Month. It was reported that he died from what looked like a suicide gunshot wound to the head.
We won't dwell so much on the tragic end of this man's life, but on who he was and how he changed the way black music was presented to America and paved the way for many black artists to be recognized just like their white counterparts.Don Cornelius was born in Chicago on September 27, 1936. He started off in the insurance business in the 1950's. He decided later on that he wanted to go into the field of broadcasting. Back in the early 70's, there was no music television show that was aimed specifically at young African Americans. Don Cornelius, who was a substitute DJ at the time pitched the idea to his WCIU, a television station in Chicago where he worked at a Sports Anchor. He used $400 dollars of his own money to create the pilot for Soul Train and the rest as they say was history.
More after the jump....
Soul Train appeared on August 17, 1970 and aired on Saturday mornings. The show quickly gained popularity, but it still had a hard road ahead to being syndicated. The show catered mostly to R&B and Soul music acts like Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin and many others. But people didn't tune in to just hear the music they tuned in to see the dancing. The dancing on the show became just as iconic as the singers that graced the stage and he always ended the show with his iconic phrase, "We Wish You Love, Peace, and Soul!"
We salute Don Cornelius as a legend and someone who contributed greatly to the legacy of black music. Even as we celebrate the life of a pioneer, our prayers and thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. Enjoy some clips from Soul Train and of its creator.
The Infamous SOUL TRAIN Line. Yes they got DOWN back in the 70's!
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