Originally from New York, Victoria Avila Cornelius was a model and actress. She also worked as a television host and producer. Unfortunately, she committed suicide in 1998, aged only 36.
Don Cornelius was a television show host and producer
During the 1970’s, Don Cornelius was a pioneer in musical television for African American artists. He was the producer and host of the Soul Train television show. The show was a huge success and spawned competitors.
Don Cornelius was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 27, 1936. He was a Korean War veteran who served 18 months in the Marine Corps. He married his childhood sweetheart Delores Harrison and had two sons. After serving in the Marine Corps, Cornelius became an officer in the Chicago Police Department. He also worked for the WCIU-TV (a UHF station) as a news reporter. He was also a sportscaster.
Cornelius grew up in Bronzeville, Chicago, and attended DuSable High School. He moonlighted as a DJ at his hometown’s radio station. He graduated from DuSable High School in 1954. After graduating, Cornelius went to work for the Chicago Police Department. He also worked as a newspaper reporter, illustrator, and insurance salesman.
In the late 1960’s, Cornelius started a series of dance parties for local high school students. He later invited members of the live studio audience to break the moves during feature segments. This led to the creation of Soul Train.
The first episode of Soul Train aired on WCIU-TV in Chicago in 1970. The first performers on the show included Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Honey Cone, and Eddie Kendricks. The show also featured local acts. In 1971, the show moved to Los Angeles.
Victoria Avila Cornelius was a model and actress
During her life, Victoria Avila Cornelius was a model and actress. She was famously known by the stage name Victoria Chapman. She also has a daughter, Christina Marie Cornelius, who is an actress. She was a granddaughter of Eugene O’Neill. She graduated from Harvard University. She is also a fashion model.
Cornelius was born in Los Angeles in 1959. He worked for the Chicago television station WCIU-TV in 1967. He became a reporter for the station and had a long career in journalism. He also hosted the television show A Black’s View of the News. In addition, Cornelius created the dance show Soul Train. This show helped promote the soul genre. It also helped bring African American performers to mainstream television. It helped expand the audience for acts like O’Jays, James Brown, and the Commodores. It also created a campaign called the Black is Beautiful campaign.
Cornelius was a role model for the black community. He helped foster opportunities for talented dancers and helped make the black community more visible. He also helped break racial barriers. He was known to have a great deal of respect for Aretha Franklin. Cornelius’ influence was so widespread that Aretha herself appeared on his show.
Cornelius also had a troubled marriage. He and his wife were married for nine years. However, they divorced in 2009. Don Cornelius was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2012. He had two life insurance policies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Don Cornelius committed suicide
Known as the king of soul, Don Cornelius was a pioneering figure in the television entertainment industry. His creation, Soul Train, helped break down barriers between black and white cultures and gave Black musicians a platform.
Cornelius’s death on February 1, 2012 was a huge blow to the entertainment industry. He was an icon, and a pioneer, but his personal life was not as well known.
Cornelius started Soul Train in 1970 after he was fired from a job as a local news anchor. He was a journalist and a former civil rights activist. His show gave the best soul music a national audience. It also boosted the careers of artists like the Jackson Five and James Brown.
In the late 1970s, Cornelius started to experience seizures and underwent brain surgery. This was an important move for Cornelius because he was able to prevent blood vessels from leaking into his brain.
In 2009, Cornelius mentioned a number of important medical issues in his divorce case. He said he suffered from a number of significant health issues, and he urged the judge to speed up the case.
Cornelius had two lucrative life insurance policies. He reportedly tried to keep his ex-wife from cashing in on his life insurance. However, Don Cornelius committed suicide. He was found dead in his home in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles, California, around four a.m.