Don Cornelius found dead
 

R.I.P. love peace and soul :thumbsup


LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Don Cornelius, creator of the long-running TV dance show "Soul Train," shot himself to death Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home, police said. He was 75.

Officers responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Mulholland Drive home at around 4 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 4:56 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.

"Soul Train" began in 1970 in Chicago on WCIU-TV as a local program and aired nationally from 1971 to 2006.

It introduced television audiences to such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White and brought the best R&B, soul and later hip-hop acts to TV and had teenagers dance to them. It was one of the first shows to showcase African-Americans prominently, although the dance group was racially mixed. Cornelius was the first host and executive producer.

"There was not programming that targeted any particular ethnicity," he said in 2006, then added: "I'm trying to use euphemisms here, trying to avoid saying there was no television for black folks, which they knew was for them."

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 latest 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.

The series spawned a franchise that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest.

Cornelius stepped down as "Soul Train" host in 1993.

In his later years, Cornelius had a troubled marriage. In 2009, he was sentenced to three years' probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor spousal battery. In his divorce case that year, he also mentioned having significant health issues.

Sad to hear. Something how you can be a dapper dressed, happening host of a hit TV show on top of the world and the end of your road goes like this.

I always remember Stuttering John interviewing him. Seemed very angry and high strung but who knows.

I watched a bit of Soul Train but I think it was on at Saturday 4pm (5pm eastern) which was a really odd time. Plus being a white dude in 1977 or so I prob didnt last a whole show. :) But of course a lot of good acts came through there.

My way of paying tribute. (Don C. preamble starts 5:39)



continues (main interview)



Best wishes to any friends or family.

Sorry Don deserves better :) HS was a bit crass for a tribute.



What ever happened to dancing. I remember the line dancing and all that on Soul Train.



It was a pretty good show actually. :)

And damn that guy had a great smooooth voice.

kind of like this guy who i am sure was on ST a few times

A real shame he took his life like that.RIP Don

I don't understand suicide but especially at 75 years old. RIP

RIP, Don. Your health issues must have been pretty bad and getting worse...

Soul Train helped forge my love for the choco taco...ST was way more fun to watch for me anyway, than AB.

Thanks for the grooves, Don.

maybe cancer or some shit like that :helpme

I have fond memories of Soul Train and Don. RIP

Pain is one hell of a motivator. RIP DC!

Man, I loved that show! RIP DC!

Sad end to an impressive legacy.

:2 cents:

been in a bad mood all day because of this.

it used to always make me laugh how much he didn't like/understand/care about rap

RIP to King Cornelius

i kind of cried a bit dancin to flashlight :pimp

Is it true that "Cornelius" in Planet of the Apes was named after Soul Train honcho Don Cornelius?

Ape has killed ape!

Sounds like a real winning individual...


On October 17, 2008, Don Cornelius was arrested at his Los Angeles home on Mulholland Drive on a felony domestic violence charge. He was released on bail. Cornelius appeared in court on November 14, 2008 and was charged with spousal abuse and dissuading a witness from filing a police report. Cornelius appeared in court again on December 4, 2008, and pleaded not guilty to spousal abuse and was banned from going anywhere near his estranged wife, Russian model Victoria Avila-Cornelius (Viktoria Chapman), who had filed two restraining orders against him. On March 19, 2009 he changed his plea to no contest and was placed on 36 months probation.

you better not do anything bad in your life. wow

^^^^ and send in the clowns!!! (lol not u brass)

I do make mistakes as well, but they usually don't involve physical harm to others.

i just heard Shemar Moore talking about dementia or Alzheimer's