SEE ALSO: 5 Ways “Soul Train” Changed America

The 40th anniversary celebrations for “Soul Train” traced a remarkable journey for a former Chicago police officer who got his start in broadcasting when he pulled over a radio executive in a traffic stop and then had to build up his pioneering show one step at a time.

Cornelius, who became an icon defining black culture in America for decades, died at his California home Wednesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 75.

While the South Side native and his show left Chicago decades ago for Los Angeles, his legacy has lived on here – in the “Don Cornelius Way” street sign west of downtown, in the teens and performers who boogied onstage during the early days of “Soul Train” and in the audiences who were glued to their televisions every Saturday to see the newest dance moves and styles.

To television viewers – especially those in Chicago – Cornelius was the epitome of cool. An impeccably dressed cat whose voice was as smooth as his demeanor and who rubbed elbows with the biggest stars in music and the most promising up-and-comers.

Which is why Chicago Ald. Walter Burnett says it was so much fun to see Cornelius let his guard down last year when the city gave him an honorary street sign.

“Don was just in rare form,” said Burnett, whose ward the sign is in. “He just wanted to talk and talk and talk. … He broke down because he was with his friends.”

The sign is outside the studios of WCIU-TV, where “Soul Train” got its start in 1970. It began as a local program and aired nationally from 1971 to 2006.

Cornelius came back to town last year for the sign’s unveiling and for a 40th anniversary celebration of the show. An anniversary concert featured acts such as soul singer Jerry “Iceman” Butler, the Impressions and the Chi-Lites.

Butler recalled that Cornelius seemed particularly pleased to be back home in Chicago.

“In his introduction, he talked about how much Chicago meant to him and even though he was transplanted now to California, that this would still be home and the home of `Soul Train,’” said Butler, now a Cook County Commissioner.

At the sign unveiling, Chicago was just as happy to see Cornelius, Burnett said.

“That was a wonderful day, it took people back, man, to the `Soul Train’ days,” he said. “I came in my leather jacket, people came with their Afro wigs on and their bell bottoms, people were dancing in the crowd. It was packed. … It was a beautiful thing.”

Cornelius got his start in broadcasting while working as a Chicago police officer. He pulled over Roy Wood, then news director of black radio station WVON-AM, who “was amazed at this police officer’s voice,” said Melody Spann Cooper, current president of WVON. Wood offered Cornelius a job in the newsroom, and he said yes.

Cooper said that while Cornelius was from Chicago, his influence was national.

“He was the original social network,” she said. “Before we had internet or Facebook, we all gathered around that television every Saturday to see what people were listening to, what we were dancing to.

“Don Cornelius helped shape black culture at a time coming out of the Civil Rights era, when America had not been exposed to the social side of who we were,” she said.

But “Soul Train” didn’t start out big, and Butler recalled getting a call to come over and perform on the show on the day it was to make its inaugural syndicated broadcast.

“I think Gladys Knight and the Pips were originally scheduled to come and do it and they got jammed up and couldn’t come and I was the stand-in, so I went and did it,” he said.

Though he appreciated being called, Butler suggested that it was Cornelius who was the more grateful one.

“Well, you know, this is going to sound arrogant but at the time I did `Soul Train’ I meant more to the show than he meant to me. He was dealing with a South Side perspective and I was dealing with a nationwide perspective.”

But, he said, Cornelius’ career took off as the significance of the show grew and grew.

“Over time, he became the show to be on if you wanted to be anybody in this business,” said Butler.

Butler, who played with the likes of Otis Redding and was once a member of the Impressions, along with Curtis Mayfield, sang for Cornelius at the 40th anniversary show. Along with two original Impressions and the singer who replaced the late Mayfield, Butler performed his 1969 hit “Only The Strong Survive.”

Butler recalled Cornelius walking a little slower, but otherwise seeming to be in good health and in good spirits.

SEE ALSO:

5 Things We Learned From Don Cornelius

Don Cornelius: We Wish You Love, Peace, And Sooul!

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Don Cornelius, We Wish You Love, Peace, And Soul

1) How to start and build a business: “Soul Train” was not a show that some big corporation gave to Don Cornelius. It was his baby. Cornelius started off in Chicago with a hot local show and eventually took the show to national syndication.  He saw a void in entertainment and filled it.  He carried his dream to the national level, and now his vision remains a perpetual piece of Black entertainment history.   Most of us have dreams, but most of those dreams die. Find your dream, learn how to create your dream, and then put your heart into building that dream.  You’ll be amazed at what you can do.

2) Edu-tainment really does work when it’s done properly: “Soul Train” did what BET’s “106& Park” should have done – it entertained Black people while encouraging us to develop our minds.   I recall seeing the video of a 19-year old Rev. Al Sharpton on the show, and another with Jesse Jackson sporting the coolest Afro I’d ever seen.  Don understood the importance of maintaining a double bottom line of social responsibility and corporate profitability, and he earned his millions conscientiously.

3) There is a lot of value in creating your own platforms: Most Black entertainers are excellent at performing their craft but know very little about the business models that bring their work to a wider audience.   Rather than hoping that some other show would grant media space for Black entertainers, brother Don took matters into his own hands. As a result, scores of Black superstars were born who never would have existed otherwise.  That’s what you call making something out of nothing.

4) Black is always beautiful: The ongoing theme on “Soul Train” was “Blackness.”  Cornelius always kept it authentic. The show allowed us to be cool, funky, intelligent, progressive, wild, and creative without being endlessly scrutinized by the descendants of our historical oppressors.  Don used his opportunity as a chance to tell all of us that we can be special if we choose to be, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

5) The true power of Ujamaa: Ujamaa is the concept of unity, working together, and supporting one another, especially in the area of economics.  When we created our Ujamaa initiative to support Black-owned businesses, we were inspired by the  likes of Don Cornelius, whose show got off the ground via sponsorship from the Johnson Products Company, a Black-owned enterprise. By conjoining Black consumers with Black businesses and Black entertainment, Cornelius was able to create one of the greatest economic and entertainment empires in Black American history.  There’s no limit to what we can do when we work together.

Goodbye Don Cornelius, you were oh so special to all of us.  You were the guardian of our collective soul, and a piece of that soul will be carried with you into heaven.  May you always rest in peace.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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Five Ways “Soul Train” Changed America

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“And you can bet your money, it’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey!” Before Cornelius was the host of one of the first, longest-running, weekly, black-oriented, music-variety shows on television with “Soul Train,” Cornelius was selling life insurance in his hometown of Chicago. Soon after, Cornelius left his $250-a-week job for a $50-a-week gig at a popular radio station.  Many folks in his inner circle thought that when he took a pay cut, he had lost a few brain cells, but Cornelius was determined to try his hand at broadcasting in 1966.

His disc jockey stints eventually led Cornelius to a job as a sports anchorman on an ethnic-programming Chicago television station.  It was during this time that Cornelius hatched the idea for a Black-oriented dance show and pitched it to the station heads.  The dance show idea was well-received. Still, while station owners allowed Cornelius to produce it, they stipulated that Cornelius  would have to bankroll it. Cornelius soon came up with the name “Soul Train,” because of a local promotion that he spearheaded in 1969.

The show first aired in October 1971 and was instantly a mega hit, with its riveting musical performances and dancers that were the fashion plates of the times. Soul Train made both young and old want to jump out of bed on Saturday mornings.

A man on a mission, Cornelius tried to get sponsors for his pilot but could not generate any interest because the show included an all-Black cast.  After pounding the pavement to try and sell his idea, retailer Sears, Roebuck & Co. decided to get on board with Cornelius’ venture.

Even though the retailer’s contribution was nominal, Cornelius made it work.  He persuaded the head honchos at WCIU-TV to allow him to air the show five days a week for one hour at a time. “Soul Train” premiered on the station on August 17, 1970.  Soon after, buzz began to spread about the show.

Cornelius was the show’s host, producer, and salesman and did not draw one cent from it until local advertisers began to recognize the program’s value and started signing on.

As the show grew in popularity, Cornelius began thinking about national syndication.  He approached the Johnson Products Co., the country’s leading Black-owned company, and they made the decision to advertise on the show along with Sears.  So in 1971, Cornelius moved his operations from Chi-Town to Hollywood.  At the time, Dick Clark hosted “American Bandstand” and had no other competitors until Cornelius came on the scene with his lean mean Soul Train machine.

Cornelius is credited for providing opportunities and exposure to Black performers.  “Soul Train” showcased creme de la creme acts, such as The Jackson 5, Billy Preston, Curtis Mayfield, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Temptations, the Whispers, the Moments, and the list is endless. Urban kids wanted to emulate featured dancers’ fashions, hairstyles, and shoes.  And the dance steps, oh those dance steps! The robot, the whichaway, the bump?  If you didn’t know how to dance, you could learn how to bust a move just by watching a “Soul Train” dancer.

The dapper Don stopped hosting the wildly popular show in 1993, and it ceased production in 2006.  “Soul Train,” which director Spike Lee once referred to as the “urban music time capsule,” was never cancelled, but instead, it was actually purchased from Cornelius by a production company called “MadVision” back in 2008.

Over the recent years, “Soul Train” spawned a series of franchises that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest.  Cornelius was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 1995 and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.

In 2009, Cornelius, who had a troubled marriage, 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.

Don Cornelius, you will certainly be missed, “and as always in parting, we wish you “love, peace and soooul!”

SEE ALSO:

Five Ways “Soul Train” Changed America

Why Soul Train Will Never Leave America’s Station

Baltimore’s history as one of the southernmost free cities for African Americans during the era of abolition has resulted in an incredible wealth and depth of black history, culture and heritage.
Take advantage of special events, exhibits and programs all over the city this and every month.
Fourth Annual Reginald F. Lewis Museum High School Juried Art Show
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
January 14 – February 26, 2012

This year’s theme, “Building Community through Civic Engagement,” focuses on improving
communities through civic or political actions. In partnership with the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA).
Celebrate Black History Month at the B&O
B&O Railroad Museum
February 1-29, 2012
Mon– Sat 10:00am – 4:00pm
Sun 11:00am – 4:00pm
Celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the railroad industry. Learn about these men and women who filled vital jobs along the B&O Railroad’s line and understand how significant social issues, such as segregation, affected railroading.
African Dancing and Drumming
Enoch Pratt Free Library – Govans & Orleans Street Branches
February 2 & 7, 2012 at 6:30pm
An evening of African dancing and drumming performed by the Nazu Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Nai Zou Oliver.
From Fortune to Henrietta Lacks and Beyond
Enoch Pratt Free Library – Central Branch
February 6, 2012 at 7:30pm
This panel discussion will examine ethics in medical education, research, treatment, and practice and explore the parallels between Fortune’s story and that of Henrietta Lacks. Panelists include: Professor Taunya Lovell-Banks, University of Maryland School of Law; Dr. Curt Civin, University of Maryland School of Medicine; David Lacks, son of Henrietta Lacks; Ysaye Barnwell, composer and curator of the Fortune’s Bones Project. Moderator: Kojo Nnamdi, WAMU-FM.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE.

Photos by Online Editor @robinrazzi

Baltimore, you have done it again. Your outpouring of support was awesome. Thanks to you we were able to donate truckloads of toys to the U.S. Marines “Toys For Tots” campaign. We were out and about in the community at Mondawmin Mall as well as the WalMarts in Owings Mills, Arundel Mills and Catonsville.  Thank you for making a child’s holiday season memorable.

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What does Neyo, Denzel Washington, J-Lo, Shaquille O’neal, Kerry Washington and Cuba Gooding Jr. have in common? The Boys and Girls Club of America… Join us for the Radio-One Radiothon December 5th on Spirit 1400 AM and mybaltimorespirit.com to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America you can text “Futures” to 80888, call 1-800-540-BGCA or for more details log onto mybaltimorespirit.com and give the gift of a great future courtesy of the people station Spirit 1400 AM.

Darryl Williams Sr. had been looking for his first-born son for decades. He last saw Darryl Jr. when “Little D” was just 5 years old.

After years of searching, it was the week before Thanksgiving that Darryl Sr. came across a man who shared his name on Facebook.

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Although LaNiyah Bailey eats healthy and is an active child, she has always been heavier than most of her classmates. Bailey wrote the book to help other children deal with the pressures and bullying they may encounter because of their weight.

To handle the bullying related to her weight, LaNiyah and her mom wrote a book entitled Not Fat Because I Wanna Be to help other kids deal with being overweight. LaNiyah says she wrote the book because she wants “people to learn that bullying isn’t cool to do to other people,” and she hopes her book will make a difference.

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Fewer than 2 percent of the 47,000 members of the United States Chess Federation are masters — and just 13 of them are under the age of 14.

“Masters don’t happen every day, and African-American masters who are 12 never happen,” said Maurice Ashley, 45, the only African-American to earn the top title of grandmaster. “To have three young players do what they have done is something of an amazing curiosity. You normally wouldn’t get something like that in any city of any race.”

The chess federation, the game’s governing body, does not keep records on the ethnicity of its members. But a Web site called the Chess Drum — which chronicles the achievements of black chess players and is run by Daaim Shabazz, an associate professor of business at Florida A&M University — lists 85 African-American masters. Shabazz said many of them no longer compete regularly.

Read more at NYTimes