A History of Soul Train, From Chicago and Beyond
By The Archives
A History of Soul Train, From Chicago and Beyond
By The Archives
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Soul music – or R&B – got a big boost in visibility in 1971. That’s the year the TV show Soul Train was first broadcast nationally. But the brainchild of Don Cornelius actually got its start in Chicago a year earlier on WCIU. Billed as a “black” American Bandstand, Soul Train featured young African-Americans dancing to live performances by black musicians. Christopher Lehman is the author of A Critical History of Soul Train on Television.