Don Cornelius was #BornOnThisDay, Sept. 27, 1936. Remembered as Host, producer & creator for the dance/music TV show Soul Train (1971-'93). Suffering from chronic pain, he passed in 2012 (age 75)from #suicide (#gunshot) #RIP #gonetoosoon #SuicideAwareness #SuicidePrevention #BOTD

Don Cornelius


Cornelius in 1995

Born: Donald Cortez Cornelius; September 27, 1936; Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died: February 1, 2012 (aged 75); Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Cause of death: Suicide by gunshot

Donald Cortez Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012) was an American television show host and producer who was best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance and music show Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971 until 1993. Cornelius sold the show to MadVision Entertainment in 2008.

Cornelius was born on Chicago's South Side on September 27, 1936, and raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood. After graduating from DuSable High School in 1954, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served 18 months in Korea. He worked at various jobs following his stint in the military, including selling tires, automobiles, and insurance, and as an officer with the Chicago Police Department. He quit his day job to take a three-month broadcasting course in 1966, despite being married with two sons and having only $400 in his bank account. In 1966, he landed a job as an announcer, news reporter and disc jockey on Chicago radio station WVON.

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Death

In the early morning hours of February 1, 2012, police officers responded to a report of a shooting and found Cornelius on the floor of his home at Mulholland Drive, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead by the Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner. According to former Soul Train host Shemar Moore, Cornelius may have been suffering from the early onset of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, and his health had been in decline.

An autopsy found that Cornelius had been suffering from seizures during the last 15 years of his life, a complication of a 21-hour brain operation he underwent in 1982 to correct a congenital deformity in his cerebral arteries. He admitted that he was never quite the same after that surgery, and it was a factor in his decision to retire from hosting Soul Train in 1993. According to his son, Cornelius was in "extreme pain" by the end and said shortly before his death, "I don't know how much longer I can take this."

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Joe Quarterman - I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind (Pee Dee Upload)
749 views Dec 6, 2020

Pee Dee Music

ST Gang dancing to this 73 tune. And a spotlight dance with Gary & Pat at 3:03. Usually they dance to the preceding music, but for this one, they're dancing to Slow Motion by Johnny Williams.

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