HR0763 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0763 LRB097 20125 GRL 65512 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Don Cornelius, who passed away on February 1, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Don Cornelius was born on September 27, 1936, in Chicago, and was raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood; after graduating from DuSable High School in 1954, he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served for 18 months in Korea; and

WHEREAS, After his stint in the military, Don Cornelius worked at various jobs, including selling tires, automobiles, and insurance, and as an officer with the Chicago Police Department; he also married his high school sweetheart, Delores Harrison, and had 2 sons, Anthony and Raymond; in 1966, he quit his day job to take a 3-month broadcasting course; that same year, he landed a job as an announcer, news reporter, and disc jockey on Chicago radio station WVON; in 1967, he joined Chicago television station WCIU-TV and hosted a news program called "A Black's View of the News"; and

WHEREAS, Don Cornelius was best known as the creator of the nationally-syndicated dance/music franchise "Soul Train"; in 1970, he launched "Soul Train" on WCIU-TV as a daily local show; the program entered national syndication and moved to Los Angeles the following year; he served as the host of the popular program from 1971 to 1993; following his departure from the show, he continued his work as a producer until 2006; and

WHEREAS, Through his origins as a journalist inspired by the civil rights movement, Don Cornelius recognized that, in the late 1960s, there was no television venue in the United States for soul music; as such he used the show to introduce many African-American musicians to a larger audience through their appearances on "Soul Train"; as writer, producer, and host of "Soul Train", he was instrumental in offering wider exposure to such musicians as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Jackson, as well as creating opportunities for talented dancers that would inspire subsequent television dance programs; he was also lauded for his show's uplifting community messages and social awareness; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his work on "Soul Train", Don Cornelius had a small number of film roles, most notably as record producer Moe Fuzz in 1988's "Tapeheads"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Don Cornelius; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Don Cornelius as an expression of our sympathy.