The Hippest Trip in America

On August 17, 1970, a Chicago news announcer who had started as a street reporter alongside civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Jesse Jackson would be granted the opportunity to introduce the country to the hippest trip in America. His name was Don Cornelius, and he dubbed this unprecedented television show, Soul Train. After a 35-year run, Soul Train would become the longest, continuously running first-run syndicated television program in the country - a title that still holds today.

As a child of the 80s, I became a believer of The Don as a pre-teen. Growing up in a predominately white neighborhood with a predominately white school system, I was color struck by the limber brown-skinned champions throwing themselves all over the dance floor, showing off their best groove to the biggest hits. I aspired to be a Soul Train dancer. As a matter of fact, I was a Soul Train dancer - in my mind, that is. Instead of being hyped to get an A in English, I was more anxious about guessing the name on the Soul Train scramble board before the dancers on the show.

Soul Train was a strategic cultural move made by a man who saw something lacking in the young black community. Don Cornelius made the observation that blacks weren't properly represented on the dance shows that dominated the screen like American Bandstand, yet we were making up most of Americas hottest dances and most popular tracks. With a dream, a proposition and contract, Soul Train was born. And it would live on television for 35 years.

But with any pioneer venture by a person of color, the show and its creator met its challenges. Not only did Don literally knock on the door of the acts he needed to appear on the stage to ask for a performance, but his then arch-rival Dick Clark, got wind of his success and developed its competitor, called Soul Unlimited. Needless to say, we know who won that battle. Soul Train moved from Chicago to Los Angeles and became an instant international success.

Some of the world's most impressionable acts made it to the Soul Train stage. The Jackson Five, Ike and Tina Turner, Elton John, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and the Pips. Gone were the days of Don calling in friends and favors to get a good performer on stage. Anyone who wanted the golden ticket to national success would only hope to have his or her name in silver above the Soul Train stage. Don's masterpiece was the catalyst that made Fred Rerun Berry, Carmen Electra, Nick Cannon and Pebbles - all former dancers - household names. Even NFL Legend Walter Payton found his own groove on Soul Train.

During Grammy weekend in Los Angeles, I had the privilege of attending an exclusive pre-screening of VH1ís rock documentary, "Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America." There I was, surrounded by the legends of the Train: Its founder, Don Cornelius; Motown legend Smokey Robinson; Jody Watley, former dancer and member of Shalamar; longtime center stage dancer Tyrone Proctor and, of course, the infamous "Chinese lady with the long hair" - Ms. Cheryl Song herself (who looks fabulous after a decade and a half of high kicks and twists, I must say) and new school drummer Questlove, a known historian of the Soul Train experience.  Little did I know that I was about to witness an hour and a half of cultural history.

Once the who's who of Soul Train history said their hellos, the small elite crowd was seated in the theater. From that point on, the .....