Don Cornelius at the BET Awards

Don Cornelius creator of the famed Soul Train,  presented the Legendary O’Jays at the BET Awards 2009 with the Life Time Achievement Award.

Don Cornelius attended the 2009 Bet Awards to present the award to the O’Jays after a long self imposed hiatus from TV. The creator of ‘Soul Train’, Don Cornelius talked about moments with Michael Jackson while on the 2009 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

“I met Michael Jackson at the age of 8, when his father and my new friend, Joe Jackson, first began to bring the Jackson 5 to Chicago, from their home in Gary, Indiana, for concert appearances.

“The word of the Jackson 5’s devastating abilities as concert artists had already begun to spread like an out-of-control forest fire to the laser-like attention of all Chicago area R&B music stars.

“If Michael Jackson and his brothers were booked on an upcoming Chicago land show, leave it alone! Don’t book it! Don’t go on that show and get completely blown away by young Michael and the Jackson 5!”

Don Cornelius was born September 27, 1936, in Chicago, IL; He married Delores Harrison, in 1956, and had two children: Anthony and Raymond. For a time he sold tires, cars, and insurance to support his family. He did well and in 1966 with a weekly salary of $250 dollars a week, and people telling him about his voice, and wanting to get into radio announcing he took a broadcast course.
Don attended broadcasting school, in 1966.

He worked for WVON a black station in Chicago as a news man. He was working at WCIU part time, when he approached them about an idea he had for soul train fashioned after Dick Clarks American bandstand, but with black music. WCIU’s management was already attempting “ethnic” programming, so when Cornelius pitched his idea, they agreed to give it a try.

On August 17, 1970, the very first Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV Channel 26 the rest is history.