‘What he did at his height, he was brilliant,’ Run tells MTV News of ‘Soul Train’ legend. By Rob Markman There will never be another Don Cornelius . With his television show “Soul Train,” the iconic producer and host put audiences on to the latest music, fashion and dance steps every week. Artists like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Run-DMC all took to Cornelius’ stage and delivered some pretty memorable performances. Cornelius was found dead in his Los Angeles home after police responded to a shooting call on Wednesday. While the cause of death has not been established, multiple outlets have reported that it appears to have been a suicide. In the wake of his death, the “Soul Train” host has remembered by many in the music community, including Rev Run, who spoke to MTV News on Thursday (February 2) about Cornelius’ impact. “What he did at his height, he was brilliant. He was the Jay-Z of his time,” Run said. “He was cool. He was the coolest of the people dancing in his crowd.” Love, Peace and “Soul”: Don Cornelius Remembered in Photos Run recalled watching the show as a kid and seeing iconic performances by Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye. The rap icon was such of fan of Cornelius’ “Soul Train” that when he finally appeared on the show in the 1980s with his group RUN-DMC DMC, the magnitude of his appearance didn’t quite sink in. “As a kid, before I had any experience in it — Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye — it was just cool; it was just big,” Run said, still humbled by his appearance on the show more than 30 years later. “I was happier watching it from home. … It was bigger than me and more cooler than me.” The “Run’s House” star marveled at Cornelius’ contributions to pop culture. “Not only was he a great businessman, but he brought us what the cool was,” Rev Run said. “He knew James Brown and Marvin Gaye, he’d knock on their bedroom door and say come do my show. Well connected, he was the man, like I said, Jay-Z.” Share your condolences with Don Cornelius’ friends and family, as well as you favorite “Soul Train” memories on our Facebook page.
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Don Cornelius Was The Jay-Z Of His Time, Rev Run Says
