Introduction
If you had to name a television show that captured the essence of soul music, it would have to be Soul Train. One of the longest-running shows on television, Soul Train, ran from 1970-2006. The programme gave a welcome relief, letting you soak up the magical beat of soul music that makes you want to dance. It was a crucial musical outlet at a time when black culture had few outlets. It was a show that broke boundaries, showcasing Afro-American music, dance and fashion in a melting pot of frenzied music. Everyone who was part of this glorious soul movement appeared on this show, and the list of artists certainly wouldn’t fit into any train.
Soul Train was a Who’s Who of soul music with performing artists such as The Jackson Five, Kool & The Gang, K.C.and The Sunshine Band, The Commodores, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chic, The O’Jays, The Temptations, The Stylistics, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers, The Spinners and James Brown. Beginning in Chicago and moving to Los Angeles in 1971, Soul Train was not just about soul music. It included a variety of musical genres, including R&B, dance/pop, disco, and gospel, and by the 1980s featured hip-hop artists. The programme also promoted both professional and amateur dancers. This was an inclusive show that encouraged all ethnicities to take part.
The Music Factory
The brainchild of Donald Cornelius, a newsreader and radio DJ, Soul Train, always began with a cartoon train and whistle. Like Top of the Pops, appearing artists used to lip-sync their songs. The first dancers on the show came from local Los Angeles schools, line dancers who blended in with the highly skilled individual dancers—dancing to the classic sounds of Motown, Stax and Atlantic Records. This was Cornelius’s roadshow that he brought to television. A low-budget show in the early days, aired initially in the afternoon, just grew and grew. A show that transcended the era from black and white to colour television. Don hosted every episode from 1970 to 1993 except the final episode of series 4 in 1975, which Richard Pryor hosted. The programme continued after Cornelius’s departure, hosted by various celebrities, with Mysto Clark and Shemar Moore taking over.The show was finally taken off air in 2006.
Tragedy
Despite the massive influence that Soul Train had on the history of music, tragedy struck in February 2012. Don Cornelius was found dead. Police were called to his home in Los Angeles at 4 am to reports of a shooting. Entering his home, Don was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. A tragic suicide led to him being later pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. A music guru who lost his life at the age of 75. A man who was plagued with health issues throughout his life was arrested for felony domestic violence against his estranged wife Victoria in 2008. He was ordered to pay $1000 in fines and was put on probation for 36 months with a restraining order taken out by his wife.
The Legacy
“An appearance on ‘Soul Train’ meant, what it could mean, a person being virtually an unknown person to an American sensation overnight, very similar to American Idol”.
Aretha Franklin
Soul Train was a vital component of so many genres of music. It was the springboard for so many up-and-coming artists, propelling them to musical fame. The show was key for Afro-American artists. A programme that Aretha Franklin said was a crucial part of her eventual fame. Smoky Robinson believed the show gave a positive image of black talent and a positive image to young black teenagers that had never been done before. An appearance could increase your record sales from a couple of hundred to 500,000 or more.
