Taking The Soul Train Back In Time
Hello, hello--hello!
Well, they always did say it comes in threes. And now, we say goodbye to yet another soul pioneer, Don Cornelius, the creator, producer and host to one of Saturday mornings' longest running shows, Soul Train, which ran in syndication for 35 years. Known to many people around the world, and especially known to Gen X'ers of "a certain age," Soul Train made its debut in the early 1970's, at a time when Big Bird and Cookie Monster were in their infancy, at a time when The Electric Company was the name of an actual TV show, and not just your local utility provider, at a time when we were first introduced to the Bill on Capitol Hill through Schoolhouse Rock, at a time when Archie Bunker, Fred and Lamont Sandford, and Mary Richards had yet to become household names, and during the decade when a lot of our favorite Rankin/Bass holiday programs were first run.
For many people who now have children and even grandchildren who are at the age now their parents and grandparents were when Soul Train was the most popular, Don Cornelius, and American Bandstand's Dick Clark, for that matter, were truly the town criers of pop music. Every Saturday morning, for most X'ers, their childhood memories included Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, "B" movies, classic sitcoms and western TV shows, Japanese Anime shows with English subtitles, and, of course, those dance shows, Soul Train and Bandstand, all on broadcast TV (Many of these same shows are now only available on cable). For many, news about Don Cornelius was like going into the attic and rummaging through their old memory chest, a time capsule of sorts: The Malibu Barbie, the GI Joe with the Kung Fu Grip, the Pet Rock, the mood ring, the platform shoes, the T shirts with the yellow smilely face on it, and, of course, the big, clunky vinyl LP's and 45 singles of songs that were heard for the first time on Soul Train. So, here's to you, Don. Hail and farewell.
Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!
Sincerely,
Marley Sue
Well, they always did say it comes in threes. And now, we say goodbye to yet another soul pioneer, Don Cornelius, the creator, producer and host to one of Saturday mornings' longest running shows, Soul Train, which ran in syndication for 35 years. Known to many people around the world, and especially known to Gen X'ers of "a certain age," Soul Train made its debut in the early 1970's, at a time when Big Bird and Cookie Monster were in their infancy, at a time when The Electric Company was the name of an actual TV show, and not just your local utility provider, at a time when we were first introduced to the Bill on Capitol Hill through Schoolhouse Rock, at a time when Archie Bunker, Fred and Lamont Sandford, and Mary Richards had yet to become household names, and during the decade when a lot of our favorite Rankin/Bass holiday programs were first run.
For many people who now have children and even grandchildren who are at the age now their parents and grandparents were when Soul Train was the most popular, Don Cornelius, and American Bandstand's Dick Clark, for that matter, were truly the town criers of pop music. Every Saturday morning, for most X'ers, their childhood memories included Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, "B" movies, classic sitcoms and western TV shows, Japanese Anime shows with English subtitles, and, of course, those dance shows, Soul Train and Bandstand, all on broadcast TV (Many of these same shows are now only available on cable). For many, news about Don Cornelius was like going into the attic and rummaging through their old memory chest, a time capsule of sorts: The Malibu Barbie, the GI Joe with the Kung Fu Grip, the Pet Rock, the mood ring, the platform shoes, the T shirts with the yellow smilely face on it, and, of course, the big, clunky vinyl LP's and 45 singles of songs that were heard for the first time on Soul Train. So, here's to you, Don. Hail and farewell.
Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!
Sincerely,
Marley Sue
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