Don Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012)
As we all know by now, the world is dealing with the loss of Don Cornelius, creator and host of the iconic, Soul Train, from an apparent suicide. Authorities responded to a call reporting hearing gunfire and discovered Cornelius dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Many speculate that his suicide may have stemmed from his illness but as of this hour there is no official determination as to why.
As I said in an earlier Facebook post, Cornelius single-handedly shaped my Saturdays and helped put music’s greatest. Soul Train was (and still is) a beautiful gem in the crown of African-American culture.
I can say so many things but if you take nothing else from this post, take this. Take these young people of this current generation, sit them down and teach them about this man, this show, this phenomenon. The music they are listening to freely on their cell or iPod came from a beautiful foundation that must be ingrained in their minds and souls.
I depart from this post with a clip of one of the many performances that shaped Soul Train my childhood and my attitude toward US.
Rise above…
