Tributes as 'Soul Train' creator, Don Cornelius, dies at 75
LEGENDARY music impresario, producer and television host who created the dance show "Soul Train," Don Cornelius, was found shot dead in his Los Angeles home early yesterday morning in what appears to be a suicide, the Los Angeles Police Department and the county coroner's office said. He was 75 years old. Someone called the police from Mr. Cornelius's house on Mulholland Drive in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood just before 4 a.m. and reported shots had been fired, a police spokesman, Chris No, said.
When officers arrived, they were let into the house and found Mr. Cornelius lying lifeless on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head that appeared to be self-inflicted, said the Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner, Ed Winter.
Mr. Cornelius was taken to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:56 a.m., Mr. Winter said. "It was reported as a suicide, a self-inflicted wound," he said. "I have investigators at the hospital."
"I am shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend, colleague and business partner Don Cornelius," said Quincy Jones, according to the Associated Press.
"Don was a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business. 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," Jones added.
Mr. Cornelius, a former disc jockey, created "Soul Train" in 1970 in Chicago on WCIU-TV and served as its writer, producer and host. Quickly becoming a success, the show was broadcast nationally in 1971, beginning its 35-year run.
The deep-voiced Don was one of the first African-American men in broadcasting to have his own show. Celebrity guests included Curtis Mayfield, Jackson 5, James Brown, Public Enemy and many more R&B, funk and hip-hop acts. Michael Jackson even learned his "moonwalk" from one of the show's dancers - Jeffrey Daniel.
Besides the performers, the programme showcased young dancers who would strut their stuff, laying the groundwork for countless dance programmes, including current hits like Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew."
Mr. Cornelius stopped hosting the show in 1993, and "Soul Train" ceased production in 2006.
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