“… and you can bet your last money, it’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I’m Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!” – Don Cornelius
Born Donald Cortez “Don” Cornelius on September 27, 1936, the man who became known for the moniker “Love, Peace and Soul”, left the world a better place on February 1, 2012.
The Heat Magazine chooses to remember the man who made a significant and unforgettable mark on the world.
Don Cornelius was one of the key figures in bringing urban music to the forefront and for endeavoring to make certain it not only became popular, but that it was able to be heard by the masses.
Having beaten a path for R&B and rap artists to trudge down, Don Cornelius was a mainstay in American culture. Just imagine a world without him having ever been present.
I remember as a small child watching his creation, Soul Train, come to life on a floor model television set every Saturday. Had it not been for his television show, something would have certainly been lacking in pop culture. The fashions, the hairstyles, the dances, but most of all and most importantly, the music was heard more than it ever would have been otherwise.
Countless artists graced the Soul Train stage during its decades on the air. From Barry White, the Jackson 5, Midnight Starr, and the Gap Band, to Whodini, Run DMC and LL Cool J, Don Cornelius can certainly be credited with creating quite a stir on the American music scene – one that will never be forgotten.
1971 was a year where music really began to change and Don Cornelius was in part, largely responsible for the growth of the urban music industry gaining ground.
Soul Train, television’s longest running syndicated music program, and the hippest trip in America.
After growing up in Chicago, the Soul Train founder joined the Marines and served in Korea. After coming home, he served a brief stint as a police officer, before beginning a broadcasting career that would span decades. He finally found his true calling when he started Soul Train on a local Chicago channel, prior to parlaying it into the longest running national syndicated show in the country.
Don Cornelius was a civil rights pioneer, providing a platform where African-American and other urban music artists would thrive and eventually gain a foothold in the entertainment industry. He was an icon among icons and he helped to solidify the fight for equality that continues today.
The Heat Magazine salutes Don Cornelius, an American icon.
