Don Cornelius, the creator of the first nationally-televised music/dance show to spotlight black performers died at age 75. Apparently, it was suicide. It was a sad ending to a life filled with valuable contributions. I do not think it is overstating it to say that Soul Train bridged a gap between the races. If you were a child of the 1970s or 1980s, you probably grew up watching various R&B artists croon their latest hits and shake their hips. It was a Saturday afternoon musical treat for everyone. Cornelius would intro and interview the stars in his signature silky smooth baritone. He personified cool. But one of my favorite parts of the show was the Soul Train dance line. The dancers had style and took their routines seriously as you can see in the videos:
If you would like to revisit more Soul Train moments, hear interviews about its creation from Cornelius and comments from various recording artists about its impact, check out the 3-DVD set released in 2010, The Best of Soul Train.
1 comment:
AW! retrolicious videos! I love it.
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