What was Don Cornelius’s cause of death?
DON Cornelius was an American television host who was best known for creating the music show Soul Train.
Bringing through a slew of talented black artists, Don fronted the show from 1971 until 1993.
Who was Don Cornelius?
Born on September 27, 1936, Don Cornelius grew up in the Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville.
He went on to graduate from DuSable High School in 1954, joining the United States Marine Corps shortly after.
Cornelius served for 18 months overseas in Korea.
Once he returned home he began working various jobs, from tire salesman to an officer with the Chicago Police Department.
In 1966, Cornelius began a three-month broadcasting course and ended up finding a job as an announcer, reporter, and DJ for the Chicago-based station, WVON.
The next year, he joined the WCIU-TV local station, hosting his own news program.
In 1970, Soul Train was launched on the Chicago station as a daily local show, before entering national syndication and moving to Los Angeles the following year.
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In creating Soul Train, Cornelius helped to introduce many up-and-coming Black artists to a wider audience.
Those featured on Soul Train included the likes of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson.
Cornelius became recognizable for both his voice and appearance, but especially his Soul Train catchphrase: "And you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey!"
He would say: "I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting - we wish you love, peace, and soul."
What was Don Cornelius's cause of death?
According to former Soul Train host Shemar Moore, Cornelius's health had already been in decline in the lead up to his death.
On February 1, 2012, Cornelius was found unresponsive in his home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital in Los Angeles.
What was Don Cornelius's net worth?
As well as making his fortune through TV and music, Don also had a small number of film roles, including as a record producer Moe Fuzz in 1988's Tapeheads.
Cornelius last appeared on the episode of the TV series Unsung which was aired two days before his death.
At that time, Cornelius had an estimated value of around $15million, according to
Was Don Cornelius married?
Don Cornelius was married twice in his lifetime.
He and his first wife, Delores Harrison, tied the knot in 1956, divorcing twenty years later in 1976.
He remarried in 2001, to Viktoria Chapman. The couple later divorced in 2009.
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Cornelius was also the father of two boys, Anthony and Raymond.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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