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Creator of Soul Train Dead at 75: We'll miss you, Don

Cornelius embodied soul.

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"The hippest trip in America!"

Such was Don Cornelius' tag line on the hit musical showcase, Soul Train, a program he created, hosted and produced.

In 1970, Cornelius figured that there needed to be a black answer to "American Bandstand." That answer was Soul Train and it was awesome. If you wanted to hear hip music or learn how to dance, this was your source (see video below).

Sadly, Mr. Cornelius was found dead in his home on Tuesday morning, not long after he had placed a "distraught" phone call to his son.

from the L.A. Times:

"Cornelius, 75, was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Wednesday after a family member found him in his home in Encino with a gunshot wound to his head, according to law enforcement sources. The wound appeared to be self-inflicted, but the death was being investigated by police. Friends say he had been in poor health."

(photo: Daniel X. O'Neil.)