Don Cornelius, the host and creator of Soul Train, died Wednesday at the age of 75 of an apparent suicide. Adolfo Quinones, also known as Shabba Doo, was one of the program's original dancers. He remembers Cornelius as the emancipator of street dance.
According to a Times article, Cornelius' "Soul Train" became the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history, bringing African American music and style to the world for 35 years. Cornelius stopped hosting the show in 1993, and "Soul Train" ceased production in 2006.
Vermont demographics: White persons, percent, 2010 (a)95.3% 72.4%
Black persons, percent, 2010 (a)1.0% 12.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2010 (a)0.4% 0.9%
Asian persons, percent, 2010 (a)1.3% 4.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2010 (a)0.2%
That's okay.
Let's give the man who helped white teenagers confuse their parents for 35 years a Green Mountain State sendoff.
Rest in peace, brother Don Cornelius. You will never be forgotten.
I saw the general-market world, the white world. I felt that it was my mission to see to it that black talent had an opportunity to get national television exposure. We wanted to make each show evolve into a shocking moment. -Don Cornelius
