Don Cornelius, genius behind ‘Soul Train’, dead in apparent suicide

A true 'visionary' Don Cornelius launched the careers of thousands of black artists with his creation of 'Soul Train'. Cornelius was found dead Wednesday morning at his home, the victim of an apparent suicide.

LOS ANGELES – There is no doubt that Don Cornelius and ‘Soul Train’ were to black America what Dick Clark and American Bandstand was to white America, maybe even more so, simply because white musicians had many outlets in which to showcase their musical talents, while black America had none.

Chicago-native Don Cornelius changed that forever with his innovative dance show, and after hearing of his death early Wednesday morning, black America is stunned – shocked, in fact – that his endearing legacy had to end in this way.

‘Soul Train‘, which ran until 2006, boosted the careers of countless newcomers like the Jackson Five and older artists such as James Brown who were eager to tap into a younger audience. And while the show – at first – featured only black performers, white artists soon made their way to the ‘Soul Train’ stage, performing and promoting their new releases – thanks to the genius of Don Cornelius.

Police found the body of 75-year-old Cornelius around 4 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1, at his hillside home in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

“The death was reported as a suicide, a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Los Angeles coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

Police said there was no evidence of foul play.

It was not immediately known why Cornelius would have taken his own life, although he was said to have been in failing health in recent years.

Reuters reported that Cornelius, who hosted ‘Soul Train’ for more than 20 years, told a judge in his 2009 divorce that he was suffering from significant health issues and wanted the case settled quickly.

Cornelius is reportedly survived by two sons, Anthony and Raymond, from his first marriage.

SON OF THE ’60s

Cornelius was born on Sept. 27, 1936 on the South Side of Chicago. He was raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood and graduated from DuSable High School in 1954.

After graduation, Cornelius reportedly joined the United States Marine Corps and served 18 months in Korea.

He had numerous jobs following his stint in the military including selling tires, cars and insurance, and briefly was an officer with the Chicago Police Department.

He later became a journalist and was very active in the civil rights movement. For a time, Cornelius worked at a local radio station WVON, and by the late 1960s had dreamed up the idea of a TV show dedicated to the soulful sounds of black music.

‘Soul Train’ was born with the deep-voiced Cornelius as the host who gave hip kids of the ’70s what “American Bandstand” creator Dick Clark offered TV viewers in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll — a show mixing youth, music, fashion and pop culture.

With the inclusion of the ‘Soul Train’ lineup featuring the latest dance moves and the ‘Soul Train’ board where couples worked to unscramble the names of black inventors and pioneers, ‘Soul Train’ quickly gained millions of viewers each and every week.

As ‘Soul Train’ gained popularity, it crossed over into mainstream TV and allowed R&B artists the ability to broaden their fan base.

“Don played an enormous part in my career by giving me exposure when there was none for African American recording artists on television,” Dionne Warwick said in a statement. She called him “an icon of the broadcasting world.”

Cornelius also launched the careers of two of his regular ‘Soul Train’ dancers Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley by forming the musical group Shalamar, in the late 1970s.

Cornelius personally hosted ‘Soul Train’ until 1993, but the show continued to air after his departure and it eventually became the longest running U.S. series in first-run syndication.

Cornelius sold his company in 2008.

“Once he left the TV show, he kind of dropped out of sight… He stayed within the confines of his family and home,” Los Angeles-based black music historian Tom Reed said.

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, a longtime friend, expressed shock and grief over Cornelius’ death.

“He brought soul music and dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown and he was a cultural game changer on a global level,” Sharpton said in a statement.

Former basketball star Earvin ‘Magic; Johnson, whose Vibe Holdings company currently owns the rights to ‘Soul Train‘, said on his Twitter account; “‘Soul Train’ taught the world how to dance! I thank (Don) for trusting me with his ‘Soul Train’ brand and I will carry on his legacy through it.”

A statement posted on the Soul Train website called Cornelius a “television visionary,” and true to his parting words on every show, “…You can bet your last money, [it’s been] a stone gas, honey!” Black America will never forget Don Cornelius for his “love, peace and soul!”

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