The
Page 16
Portland Observer Black History Month
February 8, 2012
Arts
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Soul Train Host Broke Racial Barriers
Don Cornelius
helped make
soul music a
national brand
(AP)— Don Cornelius, who with
the creation of "Soul Train," helped
break down racial barriers and
broaden the reach of black culture
with funky music, groovy dance
steps and cutting-edge style, died
Feb. 1 of an apparent suicide. He
was 75.
Aretha Franklin, an early "Soul
Train” performer, called Cornelius
"an American treasure."
"May u rest in peace and thank u
4 ur platform," rapper Q-Tip wrote
on Twitter. "U will always be remem
bered.”
"Don was a visionary pioneer
and a giant in our business," said
Quincy Jones. "Before MTV there
was 'Soul Train,' that will be the
great legacy of Don Cornelius. His
contributions to television, music
and our culture as a whole will never
be matched. My heart goes out to
Don's family and loved ones."
The Rev. Jesse Jackson told
KNX-Los Angeles he talked to
Cornelius a few days ago and there
were no signs Cornelius was upset.
Singer Aretha Franklin with Soul Train host and producer Don Cornelius.
"He was a transformer," Jackson soul and later hip-hop acts to TV.
said. '"Soul Train' became the outlet Cornelius was the first host and
executive producer.
for African-Americans."
"There was not programming that
"Soul Train" began in 1970 as a
targeted
any particular ethnicity,"
local program in Chicago and aired
nationally from 1971 to 2006, intro he said in 2006, then added: "I'm
ducing television audiences to such trying to use euphemisms here, try
legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, ing to avoid saying there was no
Marvin Gaye and Barry White. It television for black folks, which they
became the longest-running syndi knew was for them."
Music mogul Russell Simmons
cated show in TV history.
It was one of the first shows to called Cornelius "one of the great
sh o w case A frica n -A m erica n s est music legends there was."
"Don Cornelius gave artists who
prominently, bringing the best R&B,
had been segregated from most main
stream vehicles of expression a
chance to perform in front of a huge
national audience," Simmons wrote
in a blog post. "It was a tremendous
opportunity that changed their ca
Don Cornelius
reers and the whole music industry."
"Soul Train," with its trademark in a 2006 interview with The Asso
opening of an animated chugging ciated Press. "Which was some
train, was not, however, an immedi where between a little disappoint
ate success for Cornelius, an ex ing and a whole lot disappointing."
The reasons he heard? "There
disc jockey with a baritone rumble
was just, 'We don't want it. We
and cool manner.
Dr. Marcelitte
Only a handful of stations ini pass,"' he said, with race going un
Failla
mentioned. "No one was blatant
tially were receptive.
Chiropractic
"When we rolled it out, there enough to say that."
"Soul Train" arrived on the scene
Physician
were only eight takers," he recalled
Your Care
Our First
Priority
at a time when the U.S. was still
reeling from the civil rights move
ment, political upheaval and cul
tural swings. Black faces on TV were
an event, not a regular occurrence.
"Soul Train" was seen by some at
first as the black "American Band
stand," the mainstay TV music show
hosted by Dick Clark. While "Ameri
can Bandstand" featured black art
ists, it was more of a showcase for
white artists and very mainstream
black performers.
"Soul Train" followed some of
the "Bandstand" form at, but it
showed another side of black music
and culture.
When it started, glistening Afros
dominated the set, as young blacks
boogied and shimmied to the music
of the likes of Earth Wind & Fire and
other acts perhaps less likely to get
on "American Bandstand."
The show's dancers introduced
Americans to new moves and fash
ion styles, and made the "Soul Train"
dance line — where people line up
while others sashay down the middle
to show their moves — a cultural
flashpoint.
The show's power began to wane
in the 1980s and'90s. But even when
Michael Jackson became the King
of Pop, there was still a need to
highlight the achievements of Afri
can-Americans. So Cornelius cre
ated the "Soul Train Awards," which
would become a key honor for mu
sicians.
Cornelius, who was inducted into
the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of
Fame in 1995 and has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in
2006 he remained grateful to the
musicians who made "Soul Train"
the destination for the best and lat
est in black music.
"I figured as long as the music
stayed hot and important and good,
that there would always be a reason
for 'Soul Train,"' Cornelius said.
Cornelius stepped down as "Soul
Train" host in 1993.
Cornelius Called Son before Taking his Life
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The son o f "Soul Train" creator
Don C ornelius said his father
called him shortly before taking
his life, and that he was unhappy
and in failing health but kept most
of his feelings inside.
Tony C ornelius, who worked
closely with his father on "Soul
T rain "said he had receiv ed a
phone call from his dad on the
m orning o f his death.
"It was a call o f urgency and I
cam e to his hom e im m ediately,"
he said.
"He had been very unhappy
about some things that had gone
on in his life and his health was
failing," Tony Cornelius said. But
none o f his fam ily realized quite
how depressed he was.
"My father was extrem ely pri
vate and u n fo rtu n ately , w hen
you're a private person, you keep
things inside ... O bviously, me
being extrem ely close to him , I
could tell that he was uncom fort
able. But our fam ily could never
know that he w ould — how un
com fortable he really was," he
added.
A spokeswoman for the family
said a memorial service was being
planned for Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.