'Soul Train' Host Don Cornelius Dead at 75 of Apparent Suicide
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A2 Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012 | OBITUARIES/ IN THE NEWS | www.kentuckynewera.com LOCAL/AREA DEATHS n 'Soul Train' host Don Cornelius ANITA G. WRIGHT DOROTHY L. ALLEN Anita Graves Wright, Services for Dorothy Hopkinsville, died Friday, Louise Wetton Allen, 86, Jan. 27, 2012, at Gateway Friendship House, will be dead at 75 of apparent suicide Medical Center, Clarksville, at 2 p.m. Sat- Tenn., of natural causes. urday at A memorial service will Hughart LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don Cor- be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pet- and Beard nelius, the silken-voiced host of tus-Turnbo Funeral Home, Funeral TV’s “Soul Train” who helped Lawrenceburg, Tenn. Home with break down racial barriers and Visitation will be from the Revs. broaden the reach of black culture noon until time for the serv- David with funky music, groovy dance ice at the funeral home. Tucker and steps and cutting-edge style, died early Wednesday of an apparent A native of Lawrence Jobey County, Tenn., she was the Allen suicide. He was 75. Brown offi- Police responding to a report of a daughter of the late Joe and ciating. Loura Smith Graves. shooting found Cornelius at his Burial will be at River- Mulholland Drive home around 4 She was a real estate bro- side Cemetery. ker for many years in Hop- a.m. He was pronounced dead of a Visitation will be from 4 self-inflicted gunshot wound about kinsville and was a until 8 p.m. Friday at the fu- an hour later at Cedars-Sinai Med- member of the Church of neral home. ical Center, according to the coro- Christ. A native of Stewart ner’s office. Her husband, Robert A police cruiser sat parked at the Wright, preceded her in County, Tenn., she was born July 25, 1925, the entryway of Cornelius’ home on a death. two-lane stretch of Mulholland Survivors include son, daughter of the late John Drive in the hills above Los Ange- Bob Wright, Nashville, Eric and Idella Hester Grif- les as detectives searched inside. Tenn. fin Wetton. News cameras camped outside as Memorials may be made to She retired as a sales drivers on their morning commute the Susan G. Komen Foun- clerk from the old down- drove by. dation for breast cancer. town JC Penney store and Police Officer Sara Faden said au- was a member of Second thorities have ruled out foul play. Baptist Church and a char- Detectives have not found a suicide ter member of the Em- note and are talking to relatives about his mental state. The New Era publishes obituaries manuel Sunday school class. His death prompted many to free of charge as a public service. speak of the positive influence he Information is provided by funer- In addition, she had been al homes and occasionally fami- and his show had on pop culture, a 4-H leader and a RSVP music and the black community. lies. Information from families, volunteer. however, also must include the “God bless him for the solid good name of the funeral home han- Her husband, John Pren- and wholesome foundation he pro- dling arrangements. Obituaries tice Allen, died in 2005. A vided for young adults worldwide may be edited for length and daughter, Anita Louise and the unity and brotherhood he style. Allen Ellis, also preceded singlehandedly brought about with her in death. his most memorable creation of ‘Soul Train,’” said Aretha Survivors include two THE ASSOCIATED PRESS daughters, Elizabeth Car- Franklin, an early performer on the show. In a 1995 file photo, producer Don Cornelius celebrates his 25th season of the syndicated line Allen Sanford and Ju- Have a Franklin called Cornelius “an music show "Soul Train” in Los Angeles, Calif. Cornelius shot himself to death Wednesday dith Holmes Allen American treasure.” morning at his home in Los Angeles, police said. He was 75. Shemwell, both of Hop- The Rev. Jesse Jackson told KNX- NEWS kinsville; two brothers, Los Angeles that Cornelius “was a tially were receptive. Cornelius, who was inducted into John Douglas Wetton, transformer.” “When we rolled it out, there the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Schamburg, Ill., Isaac “‘Soul Train’ became the outlet were only eight takers,” he recalled Fame in 1995 and has a star on the TIP? Bruce Wetton, Todd for African-Americans,” Jackson in a 2006 interview with The Asso- Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in Submit it County; two sisters, Alice said, adding that he talked to Cor- ciated Press. “Which was some- 2006 he remained grateful to the Evelyn Stamper, Spring- nelius a few days ago and there where between a little musicians who made “Soul Train” online – field, Tenn., Margaret Ann were no signs Cornelius was upset. disappointing and a whole lot dis- the destination for the best and lat- Henderson, Todd County, Others also expressed their grief. appointing.” est in black music. www.kentuckynewera.com “I am shocked and deeply sad- The reasons he heard? “There “I figured as long as the music five grandchildren and five dened at the sudden passing of my great-grandchildren. was just, ‘We don’t want it. We stayed hot and important and good, friend, colleague, and business pass,’” he said, with race going un- that there would always be a reason Western Ky. Institute of Plastic, Memorials may be made partner Don Cornelius,” Quincy mentioned. “No one was blatant for ‘Soul Train,’” Cornelius said. Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery to Second Baptist Church, Jones said. “Don was a visionary enough to say that.” Donald Cortez Cornelius was Christian Care Communi- pioneer and a giant in our business. “Soul Train” had arrived on the born Sept. 27, 1936, in Chicago, Dr. George R. Valentini ties or Gideon’s Before MTV there was ‘Soul Train,’ scene at a time when the country graduated from DuSable High International. that will be the great legacy of Don was still reeling from the civil School in 1954 and served in Korea M.D. FACS Cornelius. rights movement, political up- with the U.S. Marines. Certified by the American Board Of Plastic Surgery “His contributions to television, heaval and cultural swings. It also He was working as an insurance DISCOUNTED music and our culture as a whole arrived when black faces on TV salesman when he spent $400 on a A state-of-the-art facility that Maker’s Mark and will never be matched,” he said. were an event, not a regular occur- broadcasting course and landed a offers the broadest scope of “My heart goes out to Don’s family rence. part-time job in 1966 as announcer, Aesthetic Surgery procedures. Jim Beam Candy and loved ones.” When it started, glistening Afros newsman and DJ on WVON radio. Clarence Avant, former chair- dominated the set, as young blacks Cornelius began moonlighting at 1724 Kenton St., Suite 1C, Hopkinsville PLACE ONE LIQUORS ACROSS FROM BRADFORD SQUARE man of Motown Records, said, boogied and shimmied to the music WCIU-TV when Roy Wood, his (270) 885-1140 2941 Ft. Campbell Blvd. • 885-1321 “Don Cornelius’ legacy to music, of the likes of Earth Wind & Fire mentor at WVON, moved there, and especially black music, will be for- and other acts perhaps less likely to won a job producing and hosting a ever cemented in history. ‘Soul get on “American Bandstand.” local show, “A Black’s View of the Train’ was the first and only televi- People tuned into to see the mu- ® News.” Carpet Sale HOME TOWN sion show to showcase and put a sical acts, but the dancers soon be- With the small station looking to Going On Now!!! DECORATING spotlight on black artists at a time came as much of a main attraction. expand its “ethnic” programming, 12x12 $236.64 when there were few African- They introduced Americans to new Cornelius pitched his idea for a Do A Room 12x15 $295.80 2608 Ft. Campbell Blvd. Americans on television at all, and dances and fashion styles, and black music show, and “Soul 12x22 $433.84 270-885-4361 that was the great vision of Don.” made the “Soul Train” dance line Train” was born. “Soul Train” began in 1970 in — where people stand line up on Asked why it endured, he told the Chicago on WCIU-TV as a local pro- each side while others sashay down Times in 1995: “There is an inner Thank You gram and aired nationally from to show their moves — a cultural craving among us all, within us all, 1971 to 2006. flashpoint. for television that we can person- We, the family of Mrs. “There was not programming Though “Soul Train” became the ally connect to.” that targeted any particular eth- longest-running syndicated show Cornelius stepped down as “Soul Lilly Sampson, would like to nicity,” he said in 2006, then added: in TV history, its power began to Train” host in 1993. The awards re- thank our family, friends and “I’m trying to use euphemisms wane in the 1980s and ‘90s as Amer- turned to the air in 2009 after a two- the Freeman Chapel family for here, trying to avoid saying there ican pop culture began folding in year hiatus. After owning “Soul the many acts of kindness shown was no television for black folks, black culture instead of keeping it Train” for its entire run, Cornelius which they knew was for them.” segregated. By that time, there sold the show to MadVision Enter- to us during the illness and Earvin “Magic” Johnson cited were more options for black artists tainment in 2008. Last year’s passing of our beloved mother.