Don Cornelius, creator of the syndicated hit dance show “Soul Train” committed suicide in his Encino, Calif. home, the Associated Press confirmed Wednesday morning.
A family member arrived at Cornelius’ house at about 4 a.m. and found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was 75.
Magic Johnson, who serves as chairman of Soul Train Holdings, which now owns the show, called Cornelius “a pioneer, an innovator and a trailblazer” in a statement issued by the company.
“Every Saturday morning I looked forward to watching Soul Train, as did millions of other people. Soul Train taught the world how to dance! Don’s contribution to us all is immeasurable. He will truly be missed. I thank him for trusting me with his Soul Train brand and I will carry on his legacy through it,” Johnson said.
Cornelius, according to TMZ.com, underwent a bitter divorce in 2009 and told a Los Angeles judge that he was experiencing “significant health issues,” and wanted to “finalize this divorce” before he died.
The Los Angeles Times said there was no sign of foul play at the scene of Cornelius’ death, but are investigating. He told the paper in a 2010 interview that plans were being made for a biographical “Soul Train” movie.
“We’ve been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ground. It wouldn’t be the ‘Soul Train’ dance show, it would be more of a biographical look at the project,” he said.
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