I had a chance to spend time with Don Cornelius on several ocassions -
When I was a little girl, I was on a show that mimicked "Romper Room" and it was shot at WCIU in Chicago. There were four of us on the show and the moderator. "Soul Train" was just getting off the ground. When our show finished, Don Cornelius took over the stage and they brought out the trademark "Soul Train"
engine. It was a mock up of a train engine and Don started the show there. We would watch the teen-agers pour onto the set. It actually did always end with him wishing us "Love, Peace, and Soul". I couldn't have been more than 7-8 years old.
When I started working at Central City Productions, I learned that the owner of the company, Don Jackson, had once sold advertising for Don Cornelius, and that they had a friendly rivalry that went back many, many years. Cornelius worked with (absolutely not for) Don Jackson on some of his projects - the one I remember most was when I did the Luster Products Concert. The two appeared on stage together and it was my job to get them out there on time. Big men - bigger egos, and I'll leave it at that! Both good people.
Later I was working at JPC and learned that Don Cornelius had once sold Supreme Life Insurance for Mr. Johnson - that's where he learned to dream big and achieve. He came to JPC and we saw each other again.
I remember the Soul Train tribute at Grant Park on Labor Day and it was SO crowded over there that you couldn't get on Michigan Avenue or Lake Shore Drive, the crowd was so dense. You could hear the music two blocks away, and we were partying down!
Now he's taking that last mile alone. His work ethic and dedication will be greatly missed.
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