Staff Writer - Latoya Wakefield
It turned out to be a gloomy day for many all over the globe as the discovery of a dead Don Cornelius at his Sherman Oaks home. According to the New York Times, The police responded to reports of gunshots at his home. They found Mr. Cornelius with a gunshot wound to the head which seemed to be self inflicted. Once the news hit the media, numerous condolences and tributes from the famous and non-famous were posted over several social networks.
For those of you who don’t know who Don Cornelius is, maybe Soul Train will ring a bell. According to Wikipedia.com, He is the creator and host of Soul-Train, an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from 1971 – 2006. He originally started off in hometown, Chicago. His boldness, creativity and the vision that he had to see African Americans on the ‘world’s stage’ took Soul Train all over the U.S, proving to the world that dreams can come true no matter what the odds are.
Soul Train touched the hearts of many, no matter what the creed, colour or race was. It was known as the ‘hippest trip in America’ that showcased not just music and dancing but also the clothing styles that were popular for the young generation of African Americans in those days. James C. McKinley Jr. states in his article ‘Don Cornelius, ‘Soul Train’ Creator, is Dead at 75’ that Cornelius’ production laid dance programs like Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.”
The legendary Don Cornelius Photo credit Getty Images
Many fans are wondering, why a man, that provided hope for Black Entertainers, who assisted in breaking racial borders, whom was one of the greatest television visionaries, who widely exposed so many great artists such as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Elton John would take his own life? …There are several reports that mention his rocky divorce with his Viktoria Chapman-Cornelius, a Russian model. However, none stated that this could be the direct cause of his suicide. For those who really want to know, you’ll just have to wait and see as investigators try to unfold that part of his life’s story.
Quincy Jones stated “… His contributions to television, music and our culture as a whole will never be matched…” On this same note, let’s remember all the contributions he made to the world. Go ahead and YouTube him, watch his documentary on BET or have a party and boogey down the soul train line. Instead of mourning a death, let’s celebrate a life that inspired too many to count…as what greater gift can you give to someone than hope. His life was a life well spent. R.I.P Don Cornelius. Your legend will live on until the end of time. Here I end my article with these words ‘Love, Peace and Soul’
