Died On This Date (February 1, 2012) Don Cornelius / Creator & Host Of “Soul Train”

Don Cornelius
September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012

Don Cornelius was the creator, writer, producer, and host of the extremely influential American dance program, Soul Train.  Launched in October of 1961 after Cornelius noticed a void of nationally broadcast television shows that catered to the African-American audience, Soul Train ran until March of 2006.  Cornelius hosted the program from its inception until 1993.  Soul Train has been praised for influencing countless African-American kids while bringing black music into the white neighborhoods.  Over the years, the show featured lip-synched performances by everyone from James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin, to Michael Jackson, Ice Cube and Prince.  Two popular segments of the show were the “Soul Train Scrabble Board” where two dancers tried to un-scramble letters to identify a significant person in African-American culture, and the oft-imitated “Soul Train Line” where the dancers formed two lines and then strutted their stuff with a partner down the middle.  In 1987, Cornelius launched the Soul Train Awards, a nationally broadcast program that honored the year’s best artists in R&B, Soul, Jazz and Hip-Hop.  The show ran until 2000.  Throughout the years, Cornelius was honored and/or parodied in countless sit-coms, rap songs, and films.   In the early hours of February 1, 2012, police responded to the home of Don Cornelius where they found him dead of what initially appeared to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  He was 75.

Thanks to Bruce Kilgour at Slipped Disc Entertainment for the assist.

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Died On This Date (September 24, 2010) Dick Griffey / Founder Of SOLAR Records

Dick Griffey
November 16, 1938 – September 24, 2010

Dick Griffey is best remembered as the founder of influential R&B label, SOLAR (Sound Of Los Angeles Records).  Formed in 1977, the label was one of the most successful R&B labels outside of Motown.  Griffey launched his music career during the ’60s when he became part owner of a Los Angeles nightclub, Guys and Dolls which played host to shows by the likes of Ike & Tina Turner and Isaac Hayes.  He soon went on to work as a talent scout for the influential TV dance program, Soul Train.  That lead to a partnership with show creator, Don Cornelius with Soul Train Records.  For some reason, the label folded within two years, so Griffey built SOLAR from its ashes.  The label was one of the most influential urban labels during the late ’70s and ’80s thanks in part to Griffey’s ability to find talent that were much more than the majority of one-dimensional disco and dance acts of the era.  The label roster included the Whispers, Klymaxx, Midnight Starr, Lakeside, and the Deele.  The latter featured a young Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.   Griffey was also a successful concert promoter for a time, setting up tours for the likes of Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Aretha Franklin.  During the ’90s, Griffey had a part in the birth of Death Row Records, the label founded by Suge Knight and Dr. Dre.  On September 24, 2010, Dick Griffey passed away while recuperating from heart surgery.  He was 72.