Soul Train's Don Cornelius

[Bronk]

I saw the report this morning that Soul Train host Don Cornelius' death was ruled a suicide and it reminded me of a couple of things:

Soul Train didn't last as long as it did nor was it so successful because Cornelius was a talented individual. To the contrary, Corneilus did almost nothing on the show but introduce the acts in the most laconic (admirers would say "laid back") style imaginable. The guy seemed to be sleepwalking through the whole show which was hyperkenetic with shuckin' and jivin'. The contrast was weird.

Long ago I heard Dick Clark (of American Bandstand) say that, in the 1970s, he attempted to develop a black version for television. In other words, he wanted to rip off the concept that Cornelius ripped off from him. However, before Clark could develop his show, he had to meet with Cornelius and black leaders.

WTF?

Why would Dick Clark have to "clear" his show through black channels first? Ahhhhh, could it have something to do with booking acts?Cornelius and the black mafia-politicos likely weren't going to let any white guy infringe on their territory because money and other things were involved. Also, Clark was with a network while Soul Train was syndicated. Interesting.

 

[JReb1]

"I saw `American Bandstand' and I saw dancing and I knew black kids can dance better; and I saw white artists and I knew black artists make better music; and if I saw a white host and I knew a black host could project a hipper line of speech – and I did know all these things." Don Cornelius :icon_rolleyes:

 

[Colonel_Reb]

"I saw `American Bandstand' and I saw dancing and I knew black kids can dance better; and I saw white artists and I knew black artists make better music; and if I saw a white host and I knew a black host could project a hipper line of speech – and I did know all these things." Don Cornelius :icon_rolleyes:

It is easy to see that humility played no part in his suicide. Just another arrogant ignorant negro.

 

[space hillbilly]

When I was young me and my friends would watch American Bandstand only to see the goodlooking girls dance anyway. I guess thats why we never watch Soul Train.

 

[whiteathlete33]

"I saw `American Bandstand' and I saw dancing and I knew black kids can dance better; and I saw white artists and I knew black artists make better music; and if I saw a white host and I knew a black host could project a hipper line of speech – and I did know all these things." Don Cornelius :icon_rolleyes:

What a prick! A white person would be run out of town for the statements. Unfortunately, this is the mindset of most blacks in this country. They can do everything and anything better than whitey when given an opportunity. Yet they still haven't figured out the first step of life, living in peace and harmony with your neighbors. I doubt they every will. Good riddance!

 

[WHITE NOISE]

I guess Cornelius's last act really " hit the charts with a bullet!"

 

[Liverlips]

Don Cornelius? A black racist? Unheard of!

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Dancin' is for women & f@990ts anyway. ;-)

 

[Bronk]

For those of you who don't know anything about Soul Train, the show had a pointless little game called the Soul Train scramble board. The board was magnetic and had letters attached that, once unscrambled the letters spelled out the name of a famous negro. Two members of the dancers unscrambled the mess.

I saw a "documentary" on Soul Train today and Cornelis said that the scramble board was rigged, those picked already knew the name that was to be unscrambled. "We were about positive black images on Soul Train," Cornelius said, "so we fixed it so they'd know what the name was ahead of time because we didn't want black kids up there misspelling 'Stevie Wonder.'"

Hilarious.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

For those of you who don't know anything about Soul Train, the show had a pointless little game called the Soul Train scramble board. The board was magnetic and had letters attached that, once unscrambled the letters spelled out the name of a famous negro. Two members of the dancers unscrambled the mess.

I saw a "documentary" on Soul Train today and Cornelis said that the scramble board was rigged, those picked already knew the name that was to be unscrambled. "We were about positive black images on Soul Train," Cornelius said, "so we fixed it so they'd know what the name was ahead of time because we didn't want black kids up there misspelling 'Stevie Wonder.'"

Hilarious.

And he can openly admit it and nobody says anything negative about it, lest they be called "ray sis" for pointing out the obvious problems. In the words of the wicked witch of the west, what a world, what a world!

 

[Menelik]

Dancin' is for women & f@990ts anyway. ;-)

Even a good ole square dance or waltz? Please say you're joking.

 

[white is right]

Soul Train had the ticky tackiest clothing worn by the fans I have ever seen including average 1970's browns and greens.... Like BET Soul Train looks like it was allowed to have it's own slice of the hit show market. This isn't new back when Blacks started moving into northern cities and became the majority in various districts White gangsters allowed this behaviour at the criminal level. Today BET is the same thing, the head of BET was "broke" and pitched the idea to a White money man and they both became rich off of the idea. The White money man just stayed a silent partner.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Even a good ole square dance or waltz? Please say you're joking.

Yeh, I was just razzin' some. ;-) Real dancing would be what Fred Astaire & Jimmy Cagney did. Also, mountain dancin' like D.Ray White did is good. This "modern" (so called) dancing is nothing more than jive steps & mugs either jumping around like monkeys or writhing like they're having a fit.

 

[Bronk]

And he can openly admit it and nobody says anything negative about it, lest they be called "ray sis" for pointing out the obvious problems. In the words of the wicked witch of the west, what a world, what a world!

Exactly. He felt comfortable admiting it because he knew he was insulated from criticism.

Recently, my professor approvingly related that, on the 1948 campaign trail, Harry Truman savaged his opponents as "fascists." At that point I noted that, just a few years later, such a tactic was called "McCarthyism" when used by anti-communists. The prof paused, thought a minute and said, "yeah, yes it was."

Oops, slipped again.

 

[screamingeagle]

Forgot to mention, Crack Whore Whitney Houson kicked the bucket while taking a bath. She is not worth opening a new thread.

 

[The Hock]

Forgot to mention, Crack Whore Whitney Houson kicked the bucket while taking a bath. She is not worth opening a new thread.

I wouldn't call her a crack whore. She didn't need to be, she had all the money she needed to be just a crack HEAD. At least she once had something Mr. Cornelius never had, and that's talent.

 

[screamingeagle]

You are right, crackhead is a better term. She had plenty of mony, so she never had to whore herself for drugs. I over reacted.
The MSN says that she was tragic and self distructive. Nonsense, she had the time of her life.

 

[Westside]

Here is short true and funny story, at least to me.

Back in the mid 70s, I have this friend who was into music, all types. Rock, R&B, Soul, Country, Elvis you name it. Well one day I was over his house. And he decided to watch Soul Train. He advised that every now and then they had a good group on, black or white. Although at the time we believed they were singing it live, not lip synching.

Almost half way into it, his father comes into the living and observes that we are to his dismay watching Soul Train. He walks over to us and orders his son "Turn Off that n****r sh*t and put on some sports. My friend complied with his father's order and switched the channel to ABCs Wide World of Sports.

ABCs Wide World of Sports had track on, specifically sprints. Almost all, if not all were black runners. Shortly thereafter, the father comes back into the room, and utters, "ok, thats better". LOL

His father did not want us watching blacks sing or dance, but running track, thats ok! I later lost touch with my friend. He did have some modest success with music shows on cable during the video craze.