Love, Peace and Soul: Behind the Scenes of America's Favorite Dance Show Soul Train: Classic Moments

by Ericka Blount Danois

Overview

Love, Peace, and Soul tells the story of the television phenomenon known as Soul Train, a show created in the land of bell bottoms, afros, and soul power; a show that became the touchstone of the Baby Boomer generation. Don Cornelius, host and owner of the show, was one of the coolest cats on television. With his platform shoes, wide neckties, and mellifluous voice, he showed the world just how corny American Bandstand was in comparison. In 2012, fans were shocked to hear one of the most powerful men in the music and television business took his own life.

Love, Peace, and Soul is a celebratory, behind-the-scenes collection of anecdotes, stories, and reflections, from the people who were there, about the host, the show, and the power of black music and dance on television.

Music and television connoisseurs will enjoy the history of not just Soul Train, but of other shows, including Shindig!, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Hullabaloo, American Bandstand, and Graffiti Rock. Entrepreneurs will be interested in Cornelius' humble beginnings with the local version of the show in Chicago, created with his own money. Fans will delight in the lively images and the quirky details. The first mass market book on Soul Train since Cornelius's passing, this volume has something for everyone. Includes afterword by Gary Harris.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781480363991
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Ericka Blount Danois (Baltimore, MD) is an award-winning writer who writes about pop culture, music, sports, and television. She has written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ESPN, the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, JazzTimes, Spin, and Vibe magazine, among others. Her website is www.erickablount.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Preface xi

Introduction xv

1 Fake It Till You Make It 1

2 Hollywood Swinging 19

3 Boogie Nights, Halter Tops, and Hot Pants 33

4 Blue-Eyed, Brown-Eyed, and Green-Eyed Soul 55

5 Just Because I'm an Old Cat Doesn't Mean I'll Get Scratched by a' Kitten 83

6 I'm Not Fattening No Frogs for No Snakes 99

7 Soul Forfeit 111

8 A Beat Like This Might Tempt Me 127

9 Making a Fortune Sawing Nickels in Half 145

10 On a New Track 157

Afterword 169

List of Episodes 173

Selected Bibliography 229

Index 235

Editorial Reviews

12/01/2013
Though there have been several recent books about the fabled TV show Soul Train (ST), in particular Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation, Danois delves deeper by providing an in-depth biography of its creator, Don Cornelius (1936–2012). A multitude of former ST executives, crew, and dancers were interviewed, contributing their perspectives on both Cornelius and the show that had a profound influence not just on African Americans but on a nation of eager young music and dance fans. Cornelius's dream of bringing a hip, black version of American Bandstand to a national audience became a phenomenon that encouraged people of color to take pride in who they were. Because of him, radio stations began to play more black music and more black performers received national exposure. Danois explains how Cornelius had to keep reinventing the look of ST to keep up with changing music and dance tastes and to combat new competitive shows from cable stations such as MTV and BET. VERDICT A must-read for music, dance, and pop culture enthusiasts. This is a slice of American history that will delight former ST viewers and educate millennials about its groundbreaking significance.—Richard Dickey, Lib. of Congress, Washington, DC

Library Journal