Don Cornelius: Saying Goodbye to Mr. Smooth

There was American Bandstand, and then there was Soul Train. One showed the softer side of rock ‘n’ roll, the other, that there was another world out there. Soul Train creator and host Don Cornelius’ righteous demeanor and smooth baritone made viewers and celebrity guests alike want to put on their Sunday best and get his kind of religion. His dignified approach caused white audiences to ponder if there was more to this show than just music, while reaffirming to black audiences that there indeed was, a weekly testament to musical history that crossed racial boundaries in a time when the country itself was struggling to do so. With musical guests such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Run DMC and Elton John, the show chronicled an era of music that will always be celebrated, often imitated and never duplicated. Today, we at Broham mourn the passing of a visionary, Don Cornelius, who held open a portal to an alternate universe filled with music and dance.