R.I.P. ---Don Cornelius (1936-2012)

     My experience growing up with any minority groups were few. I lived in an area south of St. Louis Co., that was a lily white as any place could be. My high school had over 2,000 students and it was not until my last two years (1977/78) that other black (or any other hue) students could be found. My first real introduction to "the black experience" was found on late Saturday mornings on Channel 11, when I discovered, "Soul Train".
     It would be easy to attempt to compare "American Bandstand" to "Soul Train", and to a certain extent you would be correct. Chicago born Cornelius had been inspired to put together a show like 'AB", but with soul music instead. They also had the same effect on teens, but in different eras. Bandstand was most influential during the 50's and early 60's, when teenagers were just getting into  rock and roll, and found themselves influenced by styles that they saw dancers and singers wearing. TV (and especially their advertisers)  was also just learning about the power the medium had over teens as well. The influence was as much cultural as musical.
      By the time, "Soul Train" was first aired on August 17, 1970, times had changed. Don Cornelius saw black music going in a direction that was influenced much more by Memphis and later Philadelphia than the R&B influenced pop churned out by Motown. He also felt (correctly as it turned out), that black teens also needed to be influenced by their own sounds and styles. He was not only correct, but just like in the early 50's when white teens would get in their cars, out of earshot of their parents, and turn on the local R&B station, white kids from all over, would turn off AB and turn on Soul Train.
     I could never dance (still can't), but was wowed by the dances and the dancers on the Train. I learned about many artists that would have never been talked about in the halls of my school. It's also where my love for Philly Soul came to birth.....and where else would a white boy from the rural midwest learn about Afro-Sheen and Colt 45 Malt Liquor??
    The show itself went on without Cornelius from 1993-2006 as he was never much of a fan of hip hop or rap, and decided it was time to allow the show to led by a new generation. He passed away this morning of a self-inflicted gun shot wound in LA. There are not many in the media portion of popular music that earned the title of legend, but he has. Rest in Peace Brother Don...