Don Cornelius American television producer Date of Birth: 27.09.1936 Country: USA

Biography of Don Cornelius

Don Cornelius, an American television producer, is primarily known as the creator of the first television show about street African American dancing in America. Donald Cortez Cornelius was born on September 27, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career in the mid-20th century as an insurance business manager. After working for many years in the insurance industry, the musically talented Cornelius decided to pursue a career in broadcast school, where he transitioned into radio hosting.

Working at WVON radio in Chicago from 1966 to 1968 as a news music program department member and a DJ assistant, he then decided to apply his musical talents to television. After briefly appearing in the sports news department on television and getting to know the station owners, Cornelius decided to create his idealized music television program. He invested $400 from his own savings into the experimental project. Since 1969, Cornelius had been developing a project involving teenagers and their street dances, inspired by a similar show called "Bandstand" that focused on dances and R&B music. This program received immense support from the audience.

Learning a great deal about editing and arranging musical shows, with the help of renowned composer Dick Clark, Cornelius launched his own project, "Soul Train," in 1970. The show quickly gained public attention and became popular. It aired during the daytime, and its popularity among children and teenagers led them to skip school. Later, George Johnson, a representative of the company "Johnson," helped "Soul Train" become a national television show. In 1971, this was a challenging task, as it required obtaining a separate station that covered multiple cities.

Over the years, "Soul Train" became one of the most popular African American shows and introduced many famous performers to the audience, such as Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Lou Rawls, and Aretha Franklin. The show not only featured R&B music but also showcased rock musicians such as Robert Palmer, David Bowie, and Duran Duran. Starting from 1987, Don Cornelius introduced an awards segment to his show, where prizes were presented by well-known entertainment stars like Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Usher, and Ciara. “Soul Train” was under Cornelius's leadership for over 30 years and was sold to "MadVision" in 2008.

This sale was associated with a scandal in his family. His wife, Victoria Avila Cornelius, filed a complaint against him for domestic violence, leading to his arrest and subsequent court proceedings. After losing the trial, he was prohibited from approaching his spouse. Cornelius sold his television business and turned to the theatrical arts. In 2009, he appeared in the film "Mafia Jane Austen!" and in an episode of "The Prince of Beverly Hills." However, he could never completely part with music and continues to participate in rap shows with artists such as Ice Cube and Scarface, performing the song "Airwaves."