DON CORNELIUS, A TELEVISION PIONEER

On February 1, 2012, early in the morning, Don Cornelius age 75, the creator and the genius behind Soul Train was found dead in his California home.  All day long I've been thinking about Don Cornelius, Soul Train and the Soul Train line.

Just the two words; Soul Train brings me back to Saturday mornings in the kitchen, my mom and I doing chores and watching Soul Train on channel 5. Anybody who was anybody in the soul r & b family was greeted by Don Cornelius and invited to take center stage to perform.  Cornelius was the executive producer and host of Soul Train from 1971 to 1993. It was his vision to produce a program that would highlight and embrace Black artists and their music in a way that Dick Clark's American Bandstand didn't do. Don Cornelius presented to the world an authentic slice of the Black experience that had been invisible until Soul Train. And at the end of every show he offered his legendary close wishing us , "Love, Peace and Soul." Soul Train was part of my young adulthood. The dancers with the flashy clothes and cool dance moves was something special to me.

Soul Train was actually a locomotive. For real. Think about it. It was a train, at least in the sense that you were invited to get on board. The open for the show included animation of a train with a smokestack and a caboose. To this day, at a wedding or party the Soul Train continues to come to life every time folks line up on the left and on the right, creating a space down the middle where two by two or solo, you can bring your best move and groove on down the Soul Train line. Now don't get me wrong, I mean no disrespect to the Electric Slide or any other line dance variation but the Soul Train line came first and I like it better.  Why?  Because when you come down the soul train line you don't have to know the step or even keep in step.  All you have to do is bring your own boogie!

Don Cornelius is gone now.  Reports say the cause of his death is a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head. I'm not going to begin to address issues related to suicide. I'll write about that in future blogs. But what I will say here and now is that Don Cornelius' life and legacy far exceeds the manner of his death. I don't know the details of his personal life or the depth of his misery and anguish. But for me,  Don Cornelius was a cool soul brother. A visionary who created a groundbreaking platform that presented Black music, dance, pride and celebration to the world. He was a pioneer who used television as his platform to present positive images of the black experience through music and dance. He created an institution born in the 70's during the height of Afro's and platform shoes. Soul Train ended decades later in 2006. It is one of the longest running shows in television history. It provided a venue for a long list of Black musical artists, Black style, Black dance and Black culture to be seen and heard on television. Don Cornelius gave us Soul Train and the Soul Train Line. Those creations are a testament to his life and legacy. And I am very grateful!!!!!!

Dear Don, I wish you lasting Love, eternal Peace and the rest your Soul desires.

Watch video of the Soul Train gang on the Soul Train line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qglBm-N-Lnw