Don Cornelius Suicide

[BayouMotownMan]

TMZ is reporting that Don Cornelius shot himself in an apparent suicide. Shocking. The man and his Soul Train did so much for R&B music. RIP Don

[dianesfan_1965]

I just read that too. Horrible.

[milven]

A few years ago , Don Cornelius said:

"I am 72 years old. I have significant health issues. I want to finalize this divorce before I die"

The divorce was finalized and now according to TMZ, he is dead. TMZ is not the most reliable source, but they have been on the money a lot lately. Perhaps Don's health problems were too much for him to handle and he took matters in his own hands to speed the process.

His SOUL TRAIN has given me a decade of beautiful Saturday mornings in the seventies watching some of my favorite soul acts.

Hope he has found peace.

[BobC]

That really sucks. I loved him.

[RossHolloway]

That's just devestating news.

[edafan]

I am sad.

Thank you Don.

I have bought the Soul Train dvd's.
Also I copied on vhs 6 whole vhs full of soul train
just the great singers.

I play one most every night,
just to watch these great artists wow

thanks don

edafan

[captainjames]

The LA Times has reported it as well.

[jobeterob]

'Soul Train' creator deadSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW:Quincy Jones calls Cornelius a "visionary pioneer and a giant in our business,"
NEW: Sharpton: Without him, "we would not have ever transcended from the Chitlin circuit"
Police are investigating whether the wound was self-inflicted
Cornelius used his own money to launch "Soul Train" in 1970
Los Angeles [[CNN) -- Don Cornelius, the founder of the "Soul Train" television show, was found dead of a gunshot wound Wednesday, authorities said. He was 75.

Cornelius died of a gunshot wound at a house on Mulholland Drive, said Los Angeles police Officer Tenesha Dodine. Police responded to the call about 4 a.m. [[7 a.m. ET), Dodine said.

An investigation was ongoing into whether the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, police said.

Cornelius was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, according to Los Angele County Coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz.


"Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius, shown here with Diana Ross in about 1970, died from a gunshot wound on Wednesday. He was 75. He was known for the catch phrase, "And as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul." Here's a look at Cornelius through the years.
Cornelius hosted "Soul Train" from its 1971 premiere through the early '90s.
Shown here with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, from left, singer Smokey Robinson and TV personality Judge Greg Mathis, the "Soul Train" creator attended an event in December 2001.
According to the website biography.com, Cornelius, shown here at a 2004 event, created a pilot for "Soul Train" using $400 of his own money.
Cornelius posed with singer Usher at the 19th Annual Soul Train Music Awards in February 2005.
Cornelius was a presenter at the BET Awards in June 2009.
The Illinois native had a street named after him at Chicago's Millennium Park in September 2011.

Don Cornelius through the years1970s20012004200520092011HIDE CAPTION
<<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >>> Cornelius created a pilot for "Soul Train" using $400 of his own money, according to the website biography.com. The show was named after a promotional event he put together in 1969, the site said.

Music producer Quincy Jones expressed shock and deep sadness in a written statement to CNN.

"Don was a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business," Jones said. "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."



1997: Don Cornelius gets Hollywood star Rev. Al Sharpton, who said he appeared on "Soul Train" when he was 19 at the urging of his mentor James Brown, remained a friend to Cornelius for 38 years.

"He brought soul music and dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown and he was a cultural game changer on a global level," Sharpton said. "Had it not been for Don Cornelius we would not have ever transcended from the Chitlin circuit to become mainstream cultural trendsetters."

"Soul Train is the longest running, first-run, nationally syndicated program in television history," according to the website of Soul Train Holdings. "During its 37-year run, the show featured such staples as the Soul Train line and performers as important and diverse as Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Beyonce."

In 2008, MadVision Entertainment and Intermedia Partners acquired "the iconic franchise and catalog of more than 1,100 hours of archival footage from Don Cornelius Productions," the site said.

Cornelius once told Advertising Age he credited Dick Clark, host of "American Bandstand," for teaching him "almost all of what I learned about mounting and hosting a dance show," according to biography.com.

The show, which premiered in August 1970, showed teenagers dancing to the latest soul and R&B music as well as featuring guest performances.

Over the years, Cornelius presented many famous performers to "Soul Train's" audience, including Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Lou Rawls and Aretha Franklin, biography.com said. However, the show did not always focus on soul and R&B music, featuring acts including David Bowie, Duran Duran and Robert Palmer, according to the site.

"But when audiences were watching the 'Soul Train' dancers for the next trend in fashion, true trendspotters knew to also watch Don Cornelius," according to an article posted on the Soul Train Holdings site. "... Has he ever looked like anything other than sharp? The answer to that question is no."

"Before Steve Harvey and his suits, Bobby Jones and Arsenio Hall, Don Cornelius was the original suit man," the article said. "For every outfit [[he) deserves a standing ovation because he wore them well."

In September, a 40th anniversary "Soul Train" concert was held in Chicago's Millennium Park. Cornelius, a Chicago native, was honored at the event.

Cornelius began his career in broadcasting as part of WVON Radio in Chicago, which the Illinois General Assembly described in 2003 as "the first full-service, black-oriented music station in the city" as it congratulated the station on its 40th anniversary.

It was during his WVON days that he found himself at a show where the Jackson 5 performed in the mid-1960s, according to Time.

When a young Michael Jackson opened his mouth to sing, Cornelius recalled being blown away, he told Time after Jackson's death in 2009.

"He's only 4 feet tall, and you're looking at a small person who can do anything he wanted to do onstage -- with his feet or his voice," Cornelius said. "To get to the level of people who can do that, you're talking about James Brown as a performer. You're talking about Aretha Franklin as a singer. Michael was like that as a kid. He did it all, within the framework of one package. Nobody else did that."

[thommg]

Mr. Cornelius brought the excitement and the joy of r&b into my home on a weekly basis - quite an achievement in a white suburban home back in the early 70s. Due to the acts that he showcased, I developed my love for r&b, though I still dance like a white guy - if only I could have been schooled by those amazing dancers on the line! Thank you, Don, for contributing so greatly to my musical education. RIP.

[franjoy56]

Oh how sad to hear od Fon Cornelius "Soul Train" creator a show that rivaled American Banstand and gave
black viewers some equality in watching their artists.

This is sad news. We have to support ourselves, and thank god for a breath each day. Jobetrob, thanks for posting all this informing & wonderful information. I will paly one of his shows tonite.

[stephanie]

RIP Don! You dont know how much you meant to blacks, whites, and others on the show. He is responsible for a lot of acts getting exposure that they normally wouldnt. I hope there will be some type of celebration for him because he deserves it.

[scanspeak]

Don, we owe you so much for bringing the wonderful joy of soul music to the world.
You were a leader, a role model, an visionary, and a great human being.

Soul Train remains one of my all-time favourite shows.

[daddyacey]

Don Cornelius was a genius. He took Black Music to the equal level of when in the 50's and 60's Black Music became known to White teens. Don brought Black Music to not only Black audiences , but Blacks and Whites from all parts of the country got to see how other cities and "hoods" made music and danced. He changed the world .

The don't show AMERICAN BANDSTAND reruns, but you can see Soultrain on TV somewhere in this country or world wide anytime. Nuff said.

If James Brown is The Godfather, Cornelius is "THE DON " R.I.P. and HONOR!!!!!!!!!!!

[scanspeak]

Here's Don with Aretha and Smokey ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy75z0trlDk