Don Cornelius, creator of the legendary disco-era show Soul Train, died Wednesday morning in an apparent suicide. But he’ll be remembered for creating a show that made viewers want to shake their groove thing with Marvin Gaye and feel the “Boogieland.” Cornelius began moonlighting for a Chicago TV station in the 1960s when he drummed up the idea of creating an African-American version of Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. The new show would feature live dancing five days a week. After debuting on the Chicago station in 1970, Soul Train aired nationally in 1971 and went on to be one of the longest-running syndicated shows in television history, paving the way for today’s cult favorites like So You Think You Can Dance. See photos of Soul Train dancers showing off their moves.
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