I was shocked to read that this man, he of Soul Train fame, took a gun and ended his own life. I had heard he was having some major health issues and he must have really been suffering if he chose to go out like this.
There used to be a time when I’d read something like this and wonder just what could be so bad to make a person do this – but I know why now and I pray that none of you ever have to find out.
Soul Train was the shit; Don Cornelius was just so fucking cool as he hipped us to the latest dances, the hottest groups and the ones whose star was rising and, of course, the famous Soul Train line. I don’t think I missed many shows while it was on – and it wouldn’t help your rep any if you didn’t watch the show and more so when there was a dance at the school or somewhere else and you didn’t know the latest moves!
It was “American Bandstand” for Black folks and I think a lot of television people were surprised that the show became so successful. But now, the man who closed all of his shows with the words, “I’m Don Cornelius, wishing you peace… love… and soooouuuul!” is gone. Yeah, everyone’s gotta check out eventually but, again, I can only guess that whatever was ailing him was just too much to bear any longer.
Kdaddy23's Blog 
mysterycoach
2 February 2012 at 05:28
Oh wow… I remember him. Oooh this is awful. 😦
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totsymae1011
2 February 2012 at 13:46
And so my sister’s question, after hearing a radio DJ (Michael Baisden), dismiss reference to the suicide and said “let’s celebrate his life” want to know why won’t black folk talk about suicide? No different from so many other topics we don’t want to discuss. Why is that, K Daddy?
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kdaddy23
2 February 2012 at 16:11
Probably because Black folks either agree with other religions that it’s a great sin or that it’s believed to be the ultimate cowardly way to check out. We don’t want to think about the fact that, yeah, there is some shit that can go on that is so terrible that the only solution to the problem is to eat a bullet; my personal thought is that it takes some incredible courage to do that but it’s easier to sweep such an act under the carpet and do some misdirection by saying that we should celebrate the deceased’s life more than discuss why they took their own life in the first place. Still, when we do talk about death, doesn’t almost everyone talk about how they either want to die quickly and/or painlessly than to have suffer through a long, agonizing death?
I don’t have a high opinion of Michael Baisden and if he dismissed the reference, well, I think even less of him now…
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totsymae1011
4 February 2012 at 15:49
Great insight and Amen to the 5th power on Michael Baisden.
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