1936-2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/arts/music/don-cornelius-soul-train-creator-is-dead-at-75.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/click-track/post/soul-train-creator-don-cornelius-dead-in-apparent-suicide/2012/02/01/gIQA5qdfhQ_blog.html

Officers responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Mulholland Drive home about 4 a.m. on February 1, 2012, police said. Cornelius is reported to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. He was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.
[edit]Speculation on motivation for suicide
Shemar Moore, one of the former hosts of Soul Train, said prior to his former boss's death, Cornelius might have suffered from dementia: "I don't know what his health was like. I had heard rumors that it was early [onset] dementia, Alzheimer's, things like that." Moore added, "I'd heard that he was sick."