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Don Cornelius Arrested

February 2, 2012 by · Comments Off on Don Cornelius Arrested 

Don Cornelius Arrested, Television host and producer Don Cornelius was found dead at his California home on Wednesday from a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent suicide. He was 75.

Cornelius, born Donald Cortez Cornelius in Chicago, Illinois, is famously known for creating and hosting ‘Soul Train,’ a TV musical variety show that mostly featured African-American artists commonly performing R&B, soul, hip hop, funk, disco, jazz, and gospel.

Police found Cornelius’ body early Wednesday morning at around 4 a.m. local time at his Sherman Oaks, located in Los Angeles, home with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where he was pronounced dead, but local authorities believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

“This is devastating news,” Shawn Holley, Cornelius’ friend and lawye, told gossip and entertainment news website TMZ. “Don was a kind, funny and brilliant man. Even though his many health battles had left him frail, he remained vibrant, courtly and always sharp as a tack.”

Cornelius began working at local radio station WVON in his native Chicago as an announcer, disc jockey and news reporter. He had also been promoting traveling caravan shows that he called ‘The Soul Train’ in which local music groups would perform in concerts at Chicago-area high schools.

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