Four years ago today, Don Cornelius, the beloved host and creator of Soul Train, chose the Gunter Sachs method of treating Alzheimer’s disease: he shot himself in the head.
While terribly sad, it’s not at all surprising that men like Cornelius and Sachs — both unceasingly proud and dignified individuals who lived fairy-tale lives — opted to stare down the barrel of a shotgun rather than the dim, tapering tunnel of dementia.
Many under the age of 30 have likely never heard of Mr. Cornelius, since his 25-year tenure as tour guide on “The Hippest Trip in America” ended in 1993. But any fans of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Run-DMC or countless other artists whose careers began on Soul Train Line should throw some respect to Don Cornelius.
Here are three of the most extraordinary moments in Soul Train history, via UrbanDaddy
C. Brian Smith 
Ok, this is really creepy!! Your name is C. Brian Smith and so is my father’s. Creepy-ism #2: My dad was the Chicago Soul Train director until it was syndicated and moved from the Board of Trade building to California!
Very cool Stacey your dad sounds like the much cooler C. Brian Smith