LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of "Soul Train" founder Donald Cortez Cornelius

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to the lives of those esteemed individuals of national renown who distinguished themselves through their life's work; and WHEREAS, Born in Chicago, Illinois, Donald "Don" Cornelius died on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at the age of 76; and WHEREAS, After working at various jobs and enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, Don Cornelius enrolled in a three month broadcast- ing course in 1966; within the same year he landed a job as an announc- er, news reporter, and disc jockey on Chicago radio station WVON; and WHEREAS, Switching to television, Don Cornelius became a sports anchor, and joined Chicago television station WCIU-TV in 1967; he hosted a news program called "A Black's View of the News"; and WHEREAS, Don Cornelius realized that there were little to no tele- vision venues providing exposure to soul music which inspired him to embark on an entrepreneurial journey, and launch "Soul Train" in 1970 as a daily local show; the program entered national syndication and moved to Los Angeles the following year; and WHEREAS, Don Cornelius was conducive in offering wider exposure to black musicians such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Jack- son; he also introduced many famous performers to his television audi- ence, including Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson; and WHEREAS, Don Cornelius's creation of "Soul Train" presented an oppor- tunity for many African-American musicians to reach a larger audience, and as the popularity of the show increased it became more influential among African-Americans as well as many others; and WHEREAS, Don Cornelius will be best remembered as a nationally renowned American television show host, writer and producer, who was best known for being the originator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise "Soul Train"; he hosted the show from 1971 to 1993; and WHEREAS, Don Cornelius was a pioneer in radio and broadcasting provid- ing great exposure to African-American musicians over the course of decades; his life-long contributions of entertaining society will indef- initely withstand the test of time; and WHEREAS, Don Cornelius is survived by his two sons, Anthony and Raymond, as well as numerous other family members; and WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of compassion, Don Cornelius leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to mourn the death of "Soul Train" founder Donald Cortez Cornelius; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran- smitted to the family of Don Cornelius.