Don Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012)

384820%2002%3A%20Photo%20of%20Civil%20Rights%20leader%20Martin%20Luther%20King%2C%20Jr.%2C%20center%2C%20is%20being%20interviewd%20by%20Soul%20Train%20show%20host%20and%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%2C%20right.%20%28Photo%20by%202001%20Tribune%20Entertainment%29

384820%2003%3A%20Singer%20Diana%20Ross%20with%20show%20host%20and%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius.%20Ross%20was%20one%20of%20many%20entertainers%20who%20performed%20on%20%26%238220%3BSoul%20Train%26%238221%3B%20in%20the%201970%26%238221%3Bs%2C%20part%20of%20the%20Soul%20Train%2030th%20Anniversary%20%26%238220%3BDivas%20and%20Kings%202000%20%26amp%3B%20Beyond.%26%238221%3B%20%28Photo%20by%202001%20Tribune%20Entertainment%29

BEVERLY%20HILLS%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%2019%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attends%20the%2018th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%202004%20nominations%20at%20Spago%26%238217%3Bs%20Restaurant%20on%20February%2019%2C%202004%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20The%2018th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20will%20be%20broadcast%20live%20on%20March%2020%2C%202004%20from%20the%20International%20Cultural%20Center%2C%20in%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29

BEVERLY%20HILLS%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%201%3A%20%20%28L-R%29%20Actor%2Frecording%20artist%20Nick%20Cannon%20and%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attend%20the%2019th%20Annual%202005%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20nomination%20announcements%20during%20a%20press%20conference%20at%20Spago%20Restaurant%20on%20February%201%2C%202005%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29

BEVERLY%20HILLS%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%201%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20speaks%20at%20the%2019th%20Annual%202005%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20nomination%20announcements%20during%20press%20conference%20at%20Spago%20Restaurant%20on%20February%201%2C%202005%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29

LOS%20ANGELES%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%2028%3A%20%20R%26amp%3BB%20performer%20Usher%20and%20Soul%20Train%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20arrive%20at%20the%2019th%20annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20at%20Paramount%20Studios%20on%20February%2028%2C%202005%20in%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Vince%20Bucci%2FGetty%20Images%29

LOS%20ANGELES%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%2028%3A%20%20R%26amp%3BB%20performer%20Usher%20and%20Soul%20Train%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20arrive%20at%20the%2019th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20at%20Paramount%20Studios%20on%20February%2028%2C%202005%20in%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20California.%20%28Photo%20by%20Vince%20Bucci%2FGetty%20Images%29

SANTA%20MONICA%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20MARCH%2013%3A%20%20Musician%20Stevie%20Wonder%2C%20TV%20personality%20Don%20Cornelius%2C%20and%20musician%20Smokey%20Robinson%20attend%20the%202005%20TV%20Land%20Awards%20at%20Barker%20Hangar%20on%20March%2013%2C%202005%20in%20Santa%20Monica%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%29

SANTA%20MONICA%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20MARCH%2013%3A%20Musicians%20%28L-R%29%20Ashanti%2C%20Stevie%20Wonder%2C%20Smokey%20Robinson%2C%20Mya%2C%20Little%20Richard%2C%20and%20TV%20personality%20Don%20Cornelius%20attend%20the%202005%20TV%20Land%20Awards%20at%20Barker%20Hangar%20on%20March%2013%2C%202005%20in%20Santa%20Monica%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%29

SANTA%20MONICA%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20MARCH%2013%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20accepts%20the%20%26%238220%3BDiscretionary%20Award%20%26%238211%3B%20Pop%20Culture%26%238221%3B%20on%20stage%20the%202005%20TV%20Land%20Awards%20at%20Barker%20Hangar%20on%20March%2013%2C%202005%20in%20Santa%20Monica%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%29

SANTA%20MONICA%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20MARCH%2013%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20%28R%29%20accepts%20the%20%26%238220%3BDiscretionary%20Award%20%26%238211%3B%20Pop%20Culture%26%238221%3B%20with%20Mya%2C%20Smokey%20Robeinson%2C%20Stevie%20Wonder%20and%20Ashanti%20on%20stage%20the%202005%20TV%20Land%20Awards%20at%20Barker%20Hangar%20on%20March%2013%2C%202005%20in%20Santa%20Monica%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%29

BEVERLY%20HILLS%20%26%238211%3B%20AUGUST%209%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attends%20the%2010th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Lady%20of%20Soul%20Awards%20Nominations%20at%20the%20Spago%20Restuarant%20on%20August%209%2C%202005%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29.

BEVERLY%20HILLS%20%26%238211%3B%20AUGUST%209%3A%20%20%28L%20to%20R%29%20Actor%20Dorian%20Gregory%20and%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attend%20the%2010th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Lady%20of%20Soul%20Awards%20Nominations%20at%20the%20Spago%20Restuarant%20on%20August%209%2C%202005%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29.

BEVERLY%20HILLS%20%26%238211%3B%20AUGUST%209%3A%20%20%28L%20to%20R%29%20Actor%20Dorian%20Gregory%20and%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attend%20the%2010th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Lady%20of%20Soul%20Awards%20Nominations%20at%20the%20Spago%20Restuarant%20on%20August%209%2C%202005%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29.

PASADENA%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20SEPTEMBER%2007%3A%20%20%28L-R%29%20Soul%20Train%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%2C%20producer%20Babyface%20and%20singer%20Stevie%20Wonder%20onstage%20at%20the%2010th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Lady%20of%20Soul%20Awards%20held%20at%20the%20Pasadena%20Civic%20Auditorium%20on%20September%207%2C%202005%20in%20Pasadena%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%29

BEVERLY%20HILLS%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%202%3A%20%20%28L-R%29%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20and%20actress%20Vivica%20A.%20Fox%20attend%20the%2020th%20Anniversary%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20Nominations%20at%20the%20Spago%20Restaurant%20on%20February%202%2C%202006%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20The%2020th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20TV%20Special%20will%20be%20video%20taped%20on%20March%204%2C%202006%20in%20Pasadena%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29.

BEVERLY%20HILLS%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%202%3A%20%20%28L-R%29%20Actor%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20actress%20Vivica%20A.%20Fox%20and%20producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attend%20the%2020th%20Anniversary%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20Nominations%20at%20the%20Spago%20Restaurant%20on%20February%202%2C%202006%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20The%2020th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20TV%20Special%20will%20be%20video%20taped%20on%20March%204%2C%202006%20in%20Pasadena%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29.

BEVERLY%20HILLS%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%202%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20attends%20the%2020th%20Anniversary%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20Nominations%20at%20the%20Spago%20Restaurant%20on%20February%202%2C%202006%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20The%2020th%20Annual%20Soul%20Train%20Music%20Awards%20TV%20Special%20will%20be%20video%20taped%20on%20March%204%2C%202006%20in%20Pasadena%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%29.

BEVERLY%20HILLS%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20FEBRUARY%2010%3A%20%20Producer%20Don%20Cornelius%20%28R%29%20and%20wife%20Victoria%20arrive%20at%20the%20Clive%20Davis%20pre-Grammy%20party%20held%20at%20the%20Beverly%20Hilton%20on%20February%2010%2C%202007%20in%20Beverly%20Hills%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Vince%20Bucci%2FGetty%20Images%29

LOS%20ANGELES%2C%20CA%20%26%238211%3B%20JUNE%2028%3A%20%20TV%20personality%20Don%20Cornelius%20presents%20the%20BET%20Lifetime%20Achievement%20Award%20onstage%20during%20the%202009%20BET%20Awards%20held%20at%20the%20Shrine%20Auditorium%20on%20June%2028%2C%202009%20in%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20California.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%29