Soul Traincelebrated its national television premiere 50 years ago, in October 1971.Blake Cale for NPR Hide caption
change caption
Blake Cale for NPR

Soul Traincelebrated its national television premiere 50 years ago, in October 1971.
Blake Cale for NPR
IfSoul Trainwas first broadcast nationwide in October 1971, there was nothing like it on TV. It was the iconic black music and dance show, a party every weekend that anyone could attend from their living room. We break the lasting influence ofSoul Trainabout the culture withHanif Abdurrakib, author vanA Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Achievement, as well as scientists, fans, and even a few well-known dancers, and ask why there hasn't been another show like this since. This is the first episode of a three-part seriesIt's been a minuteSeries exploring the concept of crossover in popular music spanning three decades.
The vision of Don Cornelius
Don Cornelius was born and raised in Chicago. After some time in the US After serving in the Marine Corps and working various odd jobs, he took a radio course and eventually worked as a news anchor and DJ at a radio station in Chicago. Cornelius made the transition to television in 1967, appearing in a show titledA black man's view of the news. He started three years laterSoul Trainas a daily broadcast on WCIU-TV.

Don Cornelius poses for a portrait in 1973.Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images Hide caption
change caption
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
Hanif Abdurraqib (writer,A little devil in America):[Don Cornelius] was someone who watched the streets and therefore had a good understanding of the needs of black people.
Ericka Blount Danish (professor in author,love, peace and soul):Soul Trainhad the hip factor, and mostly because Don was so hip. You know, all the '70s style, from the wide legs to the hats... and then he had a baritone voice and he had the afro, which was huge in the '70s.
Abdoer Rakib:Everyone knows that his voice was just an incredibly beautiful instrument. ... He always had the same seriousness and always seemed to think he would do just that.
Monique "Mo'Que" Rooms (Soul TrainTo dance):He's a businessman. And that's what I saw and what I personally knew about him. And when he says something, he means it and wants it done.
Appointments all over the country
Already after a yearSoul Trainbegan garnering sponsorships, moved to Los Angeles, and expanded into national syndication on October 2, 1971. Don Cornelius was one of the first black men to own and produce a nationally syndicated franchise. By the end of its first few years, it had aired in over 25 markets and continued to grow.
Abdoer Rakib:As it approached syndication and was on the precipice of something, you know, maybe not beyond [Cornelius'] wildest dreams, but certainly probably beyond his original imagination, the temptation is, "Well, I've got to make it." as big as possible." But the clever thing is what he did, which is to say, "How can I keep this?"
Christopher P. Lehman (author,A Critical History of Soul Train on TV):GoodSoul Trainwas syndicated, not every station aired the same episode on the same day. I remember watching my UHF station in Oklahoma City every Saturday afternoon. When cable TV came to my house, I realized that the Chicago station WGN aired the episodes a week before the Oklahoma City episodes. So sometimes I would watch two episodes on a Saturday if I wanted to rewatch the previous week's episode.
Peter Murray (Soul TrainFan): I am in Rutland, Vt. In the 70's. grown up. We were a black family of five: my parents, my older brother, and my younger sister. The only other black was my great-aunt who lived around the corner from us. Apart from the six of us, nothing in our small New England town was even remotely black. My only contact with other black people was at 5 p.m. every Saturday. on WPIX's Channel 11 from New York City. At that point, we dropped what we were doing and gathered in the family room to watchSoul Train. It was really a beautiful experience to see others who were like us.
Abdurrakib: I think places that didn't embrace syndication to begin with realized very quickly that there were markets where there was a real hunger for a show like thisSoul Train. People really wanted to see it.
Danish Blount:Those who missed it had little to say at school on Monday.
Soul Trainemerging dancers
Soul TrainThe dancers were the heart of the show. They epitomized the latest style and their signature moves were copied in homes across America. The dancers didn't need any previous experience - the producers often just picked them from the crowd.
Danish bot: There was nothing like itSoul Trainon television, where, you know, regular kids were the stars. So these normal kids who went to the recreation center and came up with these dances were allowed to be on this platform, this national platform, where they showed their talent. ... It became so popular that these kids were around the corner waiting to be included in the dance show.
Abdoer Rakib:It's almost a myth to say the show didn't have a white audience. Well, those weren't the people we saw, at least not in the beginning. One thing that stands out when you look at the development, especially thatSoul Trainline is that by the late 70's and especially early 80's you start to see white or non-black people of color appearing in the line. And I think by the time you get to your mid-80s or late-80s, it starts to feel a little bit closer to fifty-fifty in some episodes.
Rand Thomas (Soul TrainTo dance): It opened another door for me to be a part of the entertainment world. ... Don gave professional artists a mainstream platform and non-professional dancers a place to be themselves and grow.
Cheryl was numb (Soul TrainTo dance):can keep dancingSoul Trainwas my liberation. ... It was so liberating to be able to dance and feel the music and express yourself in that way.
YouTube
Danish Blount:Cheryl Song was in pretty much every episode in the '80s, but she was just a really good dancer. She had really long hair that reached to her ankles. And we just tried to emulate everything she did.
Rooms:We became family, we bonded. The dancers sat very close together, eventually it clicked. ... We played clowns and just had a good time.
YouTube
Bow-legged Lou (member of the Full Force musical group):It's so crazy because I thought, wow, the set isn't as big as I thought it would be. Because it looks huge on TV. It's a little small, but everyone rocks and rolls. ... They did a lot of recording because it was pre-recorded - it wasn't live and they just stopped. And I see people with towels wiping themselves and all that stuff. ... I mean it was great and I made friends with so manySoul TrainTo dance.
music that mattered
Soul Trainhas been a platform for performances by well-known artists over the years. Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Grace Jones, OutKast, Mariah Carey and many other musicians take the stage during the performance and all connect with the audience back home.
Lehman:The dancers and performers entered into a symbiotic relationship. The dancers saw the singers they loved and the performers enjoyed the chance to perform on a TV show for African Americans. When The Jackson 5 introduced the "robot," he kept dancingSoul TrainIn 1973 it was a dance that the group had learned from the dancers themselves.
The Jackson 5 play "Dancing Machine".Soul Trainin 1973.Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images Hide caption
change caption
Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images

The Jackson 5 play "Dancing Machine".Soul Trainin 1973.
Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images
Danish Blount:So there was an [episode] with Al Green and he's fascinating to listen to in every way. For example, I've been to his church in Memphis, and he's a minister there, and even as a minister, his voice is just adorable. And so in this episode it's like you're in a church, the way he sings and the way you're touched by everything he says. Every time I look at it no matter what I do I have to stop and think you are mesmerized by him.
Al Green continues to performSoul Trainin 1974.Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images Hide caption
change caption
Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images

Al Green continues to performSoul Trainin 1974.
Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images
Abdoer Rakib:There's that episode where Marvin Gaye just sits on stage and talks to the audience -- you know, face to face. It seemed that Don Cornelius understood that there is a simplicity that is accessible - saying: Outside this room this person is one of the greatest musicians in the world, but inside this room he is just a member of the community.
Marvin Gaye squeezes into the audience for a memorable performance of "Let's Get It On."Soul Trainin 1974.Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images Hide caption
change caption
Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images

Marvin Gaye squeezes into the audience for a memorable performance of "Let's Get It On."Soul Trainin 1974.
Soul Train/Soul Train over Getty Images
Don Cornelius descended from
After more than 20 years, Don Cornelius resigned as hostSoul Trainin 1993, but remained executive producer. Hip hop was central to black music and it was no secret that Cornelius was not a big fan of it. After his departure, the show had a number of other hosts, but none stayed for long.
Abdoer Rakib: [Don Cornelius] stopped hosting in 1993. And that kind of changed the show, there wasn't a single host. Mystro Clark hosted for about a few years. ... Shemar Moore has been pretty consistent. ... [But] none of these people is Don Cornelius. That's right. And none of them stayed long enough to hide. The show didn't assume their identities because they weren't around long enough.
YouTube
A lasting legacy
Soul Trainwished its viewers "love, peace and soul" for the last time in 2006 and ended after season 35. The show has influenced music, style and culture for over three decades and has left a lasting impression on its loving fan base.
Danish Blount: Soul Trainwas one of the first national programs to show black joy and our daily lives on television. The show was the epitome of working-class black people who worked hard all week and danced in a club on a Friday night to forget their cares. ... It represented black artistic talents that had no national platform, but that black people knew existed locally in their neighborhood. It represented black intellectualism with writers, actors and comedians appearing on the show. These are things that black people knew existed, but didn't see much on television.
Soul TrainDancers boogie under a disco ball in 1970.Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images Hide caption
change caption
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Soul TrainDancers boogie under a disco ball in 1970.
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
Lehman:It let me know this TVcould bebeing diverse; it wasn't impossible becauseSoul Trainhad done it.
Abdoer Rakib:The real joy and wonder ofSoul TrainI think it was something that people could get together and watch every week and it felt good to watch every week. ... [Soul Train] didn't ask much of me except, "Isn't that nice?" ... Hey, look at that thing. Isn't that a miracle?
This episode was adapted for the web by Liam McBain. It was produced by Anjuli Sastry and Liam McBain. It was edited by Jordana Hochman. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org.
FAQs
Did Soul Train dancers get paid? ›
He admits that dancers featured on Soul Train were not paid. “He was giving them air time, and they were making a way for themselves by being seen by choreographers, by artists who came on the show, [who] were looking for background singers and things of that nature,” Tony Cornelius says.
Why was Soul Train cancelled? ›In 1973, Dick Clark, who dominated TV for teens with American Bandstand, felt threaten as Soul Train's popularity grew. American Bandstand began to lose its black audience, so he tried to have Don Cornelius' Soul Train taken off the air and replaced with his own knockoff, Soul Unlimited.
What is a Soul Train line? ›There was also the popular "Soul Train Line" (a variant of the 1950s fad then known as The Stroll), in which all the dancers form two lines with a space in the middle for dancers to strut down and dance in consecutive order. Originally, this consisted of a couple—with men on one side and women on the other.
Who performed on Soul Train in the 70s? ›Each Soul Train show opened with the fanciful cartoon train and whistle. The performing guests were often lip-synced. However, most presentations were live and included legendary performers such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and the Jackson 5.
How much do troupe dancers make on dancing with the Stars? ›Pro dancers don't get paid as much as the stars.
It's been reported that the professional dancers make close to $5,200 per episode, which adds up to about $100,000 per season.
Average Royal Caribbean group Dancer monthly pay in the United States is approximately $2,910, which is 30% below the national average.
Who was the first artist to perform on Soul Train? ›The music was so new to mainstream America that when Mercury Records recording artist Kurtis Blow was introduced on the wildly popular Saturday morning syndicated music program Soul Train, host Don Cornelius had to explain to his audience what rap was.
What is it called when an ambulance gets stopped by a train? ›A soul train is when an ambulance is stopped by a passing train and it means that the person in the ambulance isnt meant to live and passes.
Were there any white performers on Soul Train? ›On May 15, 1975, Grammy-award-winning singer-songwriter Elton John became the first white performer on Soul Train. The English star performed his hit singles “Bennie and the Jets” and “Philadelphia Freedom.”
Who was the best dancer on Soul Train? ›Pat Davis was the most popular, most loved, most remembered, and most asked about dancer in Soul Train history.
What happens if an ambulance gets stuck behind a train? ›
Really the only thing an ambulance can do in that situation is to wait for the train to pass. No amount of lights or siren can make the train move out of the way.
What are the oldest train lines? ›The first railway line in the world dates back to 1825, when George Stephenson connected the towns of Stockton and Darlington in England by rail. The line was intended to transport coal. The wagons were pulled by steam engines. Passengers were transported by horse-drawn carriages.
Who was the first black artist on Soul Train? ›Hip hop pioneer Kurtis Blow was the first rapper to appear on the show. Cultural pioneer Don Cornelius created Soul Train as a way to spotlight Black music and debunk negative narratives surrounding Black youth and the art that they created during a difficult time of racial unrest.
Who was the first white band on Soul Train? ›Elton John made his big appearance on TV'sSoul Train 45 years ago this Sunday (May 17th, 1975), becoming the first white performer to play on the syndicated TV show.
Did Michael Jackson perform on Soul Train? ›Michael Jackson performs "Whatever You Got, I Want," "If I Don't Love You This Way" and "What You Don't Know". MDLT performs "What's Your Game" and "Runnin' and Pushing". Michael Jackson performs "Whatever You Got, I Want," "If I Don't Love You This Way" and "What You Don't Know".
Do the dancers get paid on Dancing with the Stars? ›That said, their pay apparently increases per episode and depending on how long they have worked for DWTS, with returning pros reportedly making anywhere up to $5,200 an episode. Just as celebrities have an estimated salary cap per season, their pro partners reportedly make no more than $100,000 per season.
How much does a Broadway show dancer get paid? ›Professional dancers in the U.S. earn an average of $24.50 per hour . Salaries vary depending on the dancer's company, location and experience. Dancers in New York City earn an average of $64,256 per year .
How much do you get paid for being a dancer? ›$29,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $145,000 is the 90th percentile. Salaries above this are outliers.
Who is the highest paid crew member on a cruise ship? ›It comes as no surprise that the ship's captain has the biggest salary from working on a cruise ship. The master of the vessel has a huge responsibility for ship safety for crew and passengers along with navigation.
How much does a cruise ship performer get paid? ›Average Carnival Cruise Line Entertainer monthly pay in the United States is approximately $2,072, which is 10% below the national average. Salary information comes from 29 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.
What is the average salary of a cruise ship crew? ›
Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | |
---|---|---|
Top Earners | $90,000 | $7,500 |
75th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 |
Average | $49,005 | $4,083 |
25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 |
The first syndicated episode of “Soul Train” aired October 2, 1971, and featured a performance by Gladys Knight and The Pips singing “The Friendship Train.” Other performers on that memorable episode included Eddie Kendricks, The Honeycone and Bobby Hutton.
How did dancers get on Soul Train? ›Soul Train's aspirational dancers
The dancers didn't need prior experience — producers often just plucked them from the crowd. Blount Danois: There was nothing like Soul Train on TV, where, you know, just regular kids were the stars.
Soul pioneers of the 1950s—such as Ray Charles, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Clyde McPhatter, Little Richard, and Hank Ballard—learned music through performing in gospel groups. As these artists incorporated blues tropes and shifted to secular lyrics, the soul genre was born.
What are homeless people that ride trains called? ›Life as a hobo was dangerous. In addition to the problems of being itinerant, poor, and far from home and support, plus the hostility of many train crews, they faced the railroad police, nicknamed "bulls", who had a reputation of violence against trespassers. Moreover, riding on a freight train is dangerous in itself.
What is a stopping place of a train called? ›A railway stop, wayside stop or halt is an intermediate railway station with minimal facilities where passengers can board and exit the train.
What is the last stop of a train called? ›In railway terminology, a train station at the end, or terminus, of a rail line.
Is Don Cornelius from Soul Train still alive? › What did Bowie sing on Soul Train? ›“The Man Who Sold the World” or “Changes” ate up. “Fame” and “Golden Years,” the two songs Bowie. would perform on “Soul Train.” “Soul Train” creator and host Don Cornelius, the.
Who was the longest Soul Train dancer? ›Thelma Davis, one of the longest dancers of the original Soul Train gang was the smoothest, coolest, and the most divine of the female dancers.
Was David Bowie ever on Soul Train? ›
On 4 November 1975, Bowie appeared on the American television show Soul Train, miming "Fame" and the then-unreleased "Golden Years".
Who was the Puerto Rican girl on Soul Train? ›My guest is the Emmy- and Oscar-nominated actor Rosie Perez. She started her performing career as a dancer. When she was 19, she was dancing at a club with her friends when a talent scout from "Soul Train" noticed her and invited her to dance on the show.
Why do Emts leave ambulance running? ›To keep the electronics going, the lights and the radio can drain batteries fast. We have to leave the patrol cars running to leave the light bars on. Firetrucks and ambulances are also carrying portable equipment that is powered by or charged with the engine running.
What happens if an ambulance gets stuck in traffic? ›What do emergency vehicles do if traffic is completely stopped? If there's no way through you turn the sirens off (avoiding a headache) and wait until you can move. Only if you can see movement from other people can clear the road do you leave them on. If you can't move, you can't move.
What is the oldest train station still in use? ›Broad Green station, Liverpool, England, shown in 1962, opened in 1830, is the oldest station site in the world still in use as a passenger station.
What is the oldest train still running? ›The Fairy Queen, also known as the East Indian Railway No. 22, is a steam locomotive which was built in 1855. It was restored by Loco Works Perambur, Chennai in 1997, and housed at the Rewari Railway Heritage Museum.
Where is the oldest operating train station in the United States? ›The Baltimore and Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum in Ellicott City, Maryland, is the oldest remaining passenger railway station in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world.
Were Soul Train dancers paid? ›He admits that dancers featured on Soul Train were not paid. “He was giving them air time, and they were making a way for themselves by being seen by choreographers, by artists who came on the show, [who] were looking for background singers and things of that nature,” Tony Cornelius says.
Who is one of the most famous soul blues artist? ›1. B.B. King. Out of the Three Kings of the Blues: Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King, we'll pick one and that will be Riley aka B.B. This is for one simple reason - he truly is The King of the Blues AND he gave us Lucille! Like most notable artists, B.B. King had humble beginnings.
Did singers lip sync on Soul Train? ›Each Soul Train show opened with the fanciful cartoon train and whistle. The performing guests were often lip-synced. However, most presentations were live and included legendary performers such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and the Jackson 5.
Why did Michael Jackson sit during Remember the Time? ›
Jackson would perform this song in 1993 at the soul train music awards however he sat on stage because he had broken his foot and couldn't dance, on top of that he lip synced the whole performance with no microphone, but because of his popularity and his presence the audience cheered for him anyway.
Who was the first to do the moonwalk? ›Dancer and singer Jeffrey Daniel was a member of the R&B group Shalamar and pioneered the dance move the backslide — which, after he taught it to Michael Jackson, became known as the moonwalk.
Did Michael Jackson have a concert before he died? ›Footage of Michael Jackson's last stage performance just two days before his death shows the star perform perfect routines with an army of backup dancers. Taking to the stage at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, Michael Jackson was on fire.
Did the dancers on American Bandstand get paid? ›“He needed a group to show up every day,” she says, “and nobody got paid. That's why Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson would never appear on the show, but movie stars – Jeff Chandler, Tab Hunter, Sal Mineo – came.” Dancing came naturally to Sullivan, the way it did to all Regulars, she says.
Do the dancers get paid on dancing with the Stars? ›That said, their pay apparently increases per episode and depending on how long they have worked for DWTS, with returning pros reportedly making anywhere up to $5,200 an episode. Just as celebrities have an estimated salary cap per season, their pro partners reportedly make no more than $100,000 per season.
How much did just dance dancers get paid? ›$16-$33/hr Just Dance Jobs (NOW HIRING) Jun 2023.
Who was the most popular couple on American Bandstand? ›Justine got in, and along with her dance partner and soon-to-be-boyfriend, Bob Clayton, became one of the show's most popular couples. They won the first jitterbug contest when the show went nationwide in 1957.
Who was the most popular dancer on American Bandstand? ›Kenny Rossi--one of the most popular Regulars/Dancers to dance on early American Bandstand ( years late 50s/early 60…
Who became famous from American Bandstand? ›American Bandstand played a crucial role in introducing Americans to such famous artists as Prince, Jackson 5, Sonny and Cher, Aerosmith, and John Lydon's PiL—all of whom made their American TV debuts on the show. American Bandstand was a daily ritual for many teenagers throughout the nation.
Who is the highest paid dancer? ›Highest-Paid Ballet Dancer
For ballerinas (females), currently, it's Sylvie Guillem that's holding the title as the most lucratively paid in the world. She brings home well over $850,000 per year. With a long and illustrious career spanning decades since the 80s, Sylvie has been in demand by theaters worldwide.
How much do the dancers get paid in the Super Bowl? ›
According to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, "paid dancers received $712 for show day and $45 per hour for their rehearsal time, as well as a $30 per diem and a $250 COVID stipend if a dancer was asked to report to a clinic for a test on a nonwork day.
How much do the judges on Dancing with the Stars make per episode? ›Reports indicate a ballpark figure for how much judges on the dance competition show got paid per season in the early days — an estimated $250,000 per episode. Although, after Season 2, some judges were making $1.2 million, according to entertainment news site ReelRundown.
How much does a rockette make? ›Rockettes make between $1,400 to $1,500 per week. Rockettes only perform seasonally, so the annual salary of a Rockette is between $36,400 to $39,000. Though Rockettes do not get year-round work, the dancers do receive year-round benefits.
Who is the highest paid Broadway actor? ›Right now the highest-paid performer on Broadway is Richard Chamberlain, who is playing Captain von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music.” The actor, production sources say, pulls down about $50,000 a week. That figure is a combination of a guaranteed base salary, plus a percentage of the gross box-office receipts.
What is the highest paid Broadway actor salary? ›Salary Ranges for Broadway Actors
The salaries of Broadway Actors in the US range from $26,063 to $708,331 , with a median salary of $127,367 . The middle 57% of Broadway Actors makes between $127,369 and $320,944, with the top 86% making $708,331.