Born in Chicago in 1936, Cornelius grew up in the Bronzeville neighborhood and worked numerous jobs: he sold insurance, worked as a TV newsman and deejayed at WVON, which serenaded the South and West Sides with soul music. While employed at WCIU-TV in the '60s, he started hosting soul dance parties around the city and eventually approached station management about a show based on the same idea. They accepted.
"Soul Train" debuted in 1970 with low expectations and overhead. Color cameras weren't in the budget and the dancefloor was the size of a typical living room. But the show struck a chord with an audience that had been largely ignored by other teen-oriented dance shows, most famously Dick Clark's "American Bandstand." For young, African-American kids, "Soul Train" was must-see after-school viewing because it presented mostly R&B artists that other shows neglected. And, perhaps most importantly, it showcased the hippest dance moves.
Besides calling in favors from stars such as Curtis Mayfield, the O’Jays, B.B. King and Jerry Butler that he had befriended over the years, Cornelius brought in young dancers he met at parties or on the street to cut loose in front of the cameras. They were the unpaid star attractions who popularized enduring dance moves such as the "robot" and "pop and lock." One of the show’s most avid viewers, the young Michael Jackson, was clearly paying attention when one of the show’s dancers debuted the "moonwalk" in the '70s. The high-stepping "Soul Train" alumni include actress Rosie Perez, singer Jody Watley and rapper MC Hammer.
The show moved to Los Angeles in its second year and entered into national syndication, turning Cornelius from local celebrity into a music-industry tastemaker. Stars such as Sly and the Family Stone, Al Green, James Brown and Aretha Franklin appeared. Indicative of the show's burgeoning reach (and bigger budget), Barry White showed up in 1975 wearing a black velvet tuxedo and conducting a 40-piece orchestra. White performers wanted in, too, and Elton John,Sting,Hall & Oats,Michael Mcdonald and David Bowie were among some of the guests.
Indeed, "Soul Train" -- which was syndicated by Tribune Entertainment from 1985 until 2007 -- provided the first wave of national television exposure for acts such as L.L. Cool J,De La Soul, Snoop Doggy Dogg,Krs-One,Big Daddy Kane,The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. The host finally bailed in 1993 and the show continued until 2006 without him, though it was never really the same. By the end, "Soul Train" had been eclipsed by other outlets showcasing cutting-edge African-American talent, but it remained the template for many of them.
SOUL TRAIN/CROOKLYN DODGERS LINE
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