“Soul Train” Debuts
October 2 1971 - “Soul Train” made its debut. A few years prior, on a small UHF station in Chicago, Don Cornelius – an anchor on “A Black’s View of the News” – pitched to management his idea for a black-oriented dance show. Cornelius would produce the pilot at his own expense in exchange for studio space. To create publicity, he hired several Chicago entertainers to perform live shows at up to four high schools on the same day. The caravan performances from school-to-school reminded the producer of a train, a “Soul Train”. “Soul Train” made its debut in seven cities, including Philadelphia – and was an instant hit. A year later it was coast-to-coast and Cornelius became the face of the new genre of soul music – wishing America… “love, peace and soul!”