Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first and longest-serving host and executive producer.[1]
This article is about the music dance TV show. For the awards program, see Soul Train Music Awards. For other uses, see soul train (disambiguation).Soul Train
Don Cornelius
(1970–1993; 734 episodes)
Various celebrity hosts
(1993–1997; 128 episodes)
Mystro Clark
(1997–1999; 76 episodes)
Shemar Moore
(2000–2003; 112 episodes)
Dorian Gregory
(2003–2006; 68 episodes)
Sid McCoy
Joe Cobb
Jim Maddox (substitute)
United States
1,117 (list of episodes)
WCIU-TV studios
Chicago,
Illinois (1970–1971)
Metromedia Square
Hollywood, California
(1971–1981)
A&M Studios
Hollywood, California
(1981–1984)
Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood, California
(1984–1993)
Paramount Studios
Hollywood, California
(1993–2006)
60 minutes
Don Cornelius Productions
WCIU-TV (1970–1971)
Syndication (1971–2006)
October 2, 1971 –
March 25, 2006
Production was suspended following the 2005–2006 season, with a rerun package under the moniker The Best of Soul Train airing for two years subsequently. As a nod to Soul Train's longevity, the show's opening sequence during later seasons contained a claim that it was the "longest-running first-run, nationally syndicated program in American television history", with over 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005–2006 season. Despite the production hiatus, Soul Train held that superlative record until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it in completing its 35th season. Among non-news programs, Wheel of Fortune surpassed that mark in 2018.
As of 2016, the rights to the Soul Train brand, library, and associated events, such as its cruises and annual awards show, the Soul Train Music Awards, are now under the ownership of Paramount Global, through BET Networks.
History[edit]
Chicago origins[edit]
The origins of Soul Train can be traced to 1965 when WCIU-TV, an upstart UHF station in Chicago, began airing two youth-oriented dance programs: Kiddie-a-Go-Go and Red Hot and Blues. These programs—specifically the latter, which featured a predominantly African American group of in-studio dancers—would set the stage for what was to come to the station several years later.[1]
Don Cornelius, a newsreader and backup disc jockey at Chicago radio station WVON, was hired by WCIU in 1967 as a news and sports reporter. Cornelius also was promoting and emceeing a touring series of concerts featuring local talent (sometimes called "record hops") at Chicago-area high schools, calling his traveling caravan of shows "The Soul Train" and in 1970, allowed him the opportunity to bring his road show to television.[1]
After securing a sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based retailer Sears, Roebuck and Company, Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV on August 17, 1970, as a live show airing weekday afternoons. Beginning as a low-budget affair, in black and white, the first episode of the program featured Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, and the Emotions as guests.[2] Cornelius was assisted by Clinton Ghent, a local professional dancer who appeared on early episodes before moving behind the scenes as a producer and secondary host.[3]
UK version[edit]
In 1985, Cornelius gave permission for a version of the show in the United Kingdom. The UK version, hosted by former Soul Train dancer and member of Shalamar Jeffrey Daniel, was titled 620 Soul Train and ran for one series on Channel 4.
In 1987, Soul Train launched the Soul Train Music Awards, which honors the top performances in R&B, hip hop, and gospel music (and, in its earlier years, jazz music) from the previous year.
Soul Train then produced the short-lived Soul Train Comedy Awards in 1993, which discontinued that same year.[23]
Soul Train later created two additional annual specials: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, first airing in 1995, celebrated top achievements by female performers; and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest, which premiered in 1998, featured holiday music performed by a variety of R&B and gospel artists. Award categories for the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards presented to female recipients included:[24]
Special awards were given
The Lady of Soul Awards and Christmas Starfest programs last aired in 2005. In April 2008, Don Cornelius announced that year's Soul Train Music Awards ceremony had been canceled. Cornelius cited 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike by the Writers Guild of America as one of the reasons, though a main factor may have been the uncertainty surrounding Soul Train's future. Cornelius also announced that a motion picture based on the program was in development.[25] Subsequent owners of the franchise have followed their own agenda for the program, which included a revival of the Soul Train Music Awards in 2009.
Soul Train used various original and current music for theme songs during its run, including