The Soul Controller Lives On - Chris "Preach" Smith
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 7:03PM 
When a giant falls, the sound still echoes days after.
Waking up to hear that Don Cornelius left us in a tragic way dampened the
sunshine on this unseasonably warm February day. And it brought back the
cold of winter in a heartbeat. But this doesn't, and shouldn't define who Don
Cornelius truly was to generations of Americans.
'Soul Train' on Saturdays at noon was as important as church on Sundays. For
some, more so. It was our time to revel in everything Black, beautiful and
BAD-ASS. A quick anecdote for you: I was in a nightclub in Cancun a few
years back, hanging out among budding applicants for 'Girls Gone Wild' and
other foreigners hopped up on tequila. Out of nowhere, the DJ plays the
original Soul Train theme!!! It was a sight to see a gang of folks make way to
create their own Soul Train line that night. That is what having an impact looks
like. Understand that the show ran from 1970 to 2006. That's a run that may never
be broken. It was the funkier, more flavorful alternative to Dick Clark and 'American
Bandstand'. The dancers alone made it a slice of history; without them, we would've
never known about Rerun and Shalamar and Rosie Perez to name a few. And the
singers and groups KNEW they had to bring their 'A' game to 'Soul Train' or be
forever declared squares. 'Soul Train' was our kingdom of pride. And Don Cornelius
reigned over it all like a true king would with a voice of velvet.
Thank you Don...thank you for blessing us all with love, peace...and soul.
'Soul Train' laid the rails of a cultural revolution
(c) USA Today
Mayor Michael Nutter leads Philadelphia to break The World Record for longest Soul Train Line
(c) Philly.com
Don Cornelius Dances in Soul Train Line With Mary Wilson