Video: ‘Soul Train’ Creator, Don Cornelius, Dead At Age 75

TheSource.Com

Don Cornelius, who famously created the landmark television series “Soul Train,” died today in his home in Sherman Oaks, CA. At around 4AM Pacific time, it is reported that law enforcement officials discovered his body with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. 

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“Soul Train,” changed the landscape of not only black television, but national television when the show made it’s debut in 1971. The man who preached “Love, Peace, and Souuuuul,” at the conclusion of all of his broadcasts brought the black version of “American Bandstand,” to millions of television sets every week. 

Although Cornelius was admittedly not a Hip-Hop fan, his show was essential to the careers of those like Public Enemy, Kurtis Blow and more. 

In his much later years, Cornelius was battling a very bitter divorce from his wife and during the proceedings in 2009, notified judges that he was sufferent from “significant health issues,” and wanted to “finalize this divorce before I die.” The divroce was finalized in 2010.

In 2008, Cornelius was arrested for domestic violence against his wife and pled no contest to the misdemeanor. HE was placed on three years probabtion, which was terminated at the start of this year. 

In later public appearances and most notably at the 2009 BET Awards while presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to the O’Jays, it was obvious that the Soul Train creator’s health was fading. Cornelius had suffered a stroke that required brain surgery and that had took its toll on the TV icon. 

We will follow this story as it develops.

Cornelius was 75. 

Kazeem Famuyide

– Video: InfMega