Love, peace and soul.

When school let out at Shenandoah Elementary School near Cheviot Hills in LA, we would head to Larry Rosenberg’s to watch American Bandstand.

A couple of girls and a couple of boys. We wanted to learn the latest steps. We were sixth graders and we desperately were trying to be cool.

It was 1959.

But American Bandstand only let white kids on it. So how cool could that be?

A really cool dance show on TV would have to wait for another twelve years. That’s when Don Cornelius’ Soul Train went national in syndication.

In 1971 I was still living in LA. But I was 23 years old. Long past being concerned about the latest steps.

But Saturday afternoon’s Soul Train was on the TV.  Mostly it would be on just as background.

Unless Al Green was singing Love and Happiness. Or Minnie Riperton was doing a lip sync to Loving You. 

Or the Chi-Lites.

Oh, I see her face everywhere I go
On the street, and even at the picture show
Have you seen her?
Tell me, have you seen her?

Oh, I hear her voice as the cold winds blow
In the sweet music on my radio
Have you seen her?
Tell me, have you seen her?

Why, oh, why
Did she have to leave and go away.

And Don Cornelius standing behind that railing. Or asking the artist about their upcoming album.

And the Soul Train line.

When I moved to Chicago I moved to the home town of Soul Train.

Parties at Dennis and Roberta’s over on Garfield would inevitably end with a Soul Train line. Usually to the O’Jays’ Love Train.

When the City of Chicago decided to honor Cornelius with a 40th anniversary tribute to Soul Train at Millennium Park last summer, of course Anne and I had to go.

The place was packed. Mostly middle aged Black and white couples.

There were the Chi-Lites doing Have You Seen Her? And 20,000 people singing along.

Late in the evening Cornelius came out with local Chicago radio guy Richard Steele to do some chatter.

Frankly, Cornelius sound a little odd that night. He still had that deep resonant voice. But he wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. Sort of rambling.

Who knows the reason for the suicide. I’m sure the story will come out.

I’d rather remember the Saturday afternoons. And Al Green singing Let’s Stay Together.

On Facebook there are announcements of spontaneous Don Cornelius tributes all around the city tonight. One will be a Soul Train line down the middle of Milwaukee Avenue at North.

If I could find Larry Rosenberg we could go to learn some of the latest cool steps.