Obituary: Don Cornelius, 1936-2012

For 23 years, Don Cornelius was television’s high priest of black popular music. As the creator and host of Soul Train, the Saturday morning show with its train-whistle theme and its army of inexhaustible dancers, he showcased such stars as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Michael Jackson. Cornelius himself was an unforgettable presence with his formidable Afro, huge glasses, and silky radio announcer’s baritone. At the end of each installment, he blew his viewers a kiss. “As always,” Cornelius said, “we wish you love, peace … and soul!”

On Feb. 1, Cornelius was found with a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted, at his Mulholland Drive home in Los Angeles. He was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 4:56 am.