Jonathan Adams
Soul to the Highest Bidder
Soul Train, after 38 years in syndication (holding the record for longest running music show on television), is being sold to MadVision Entertainment.
Now a production company, MadVision Entertainment, has bought the “Soul Train” franchise from its founder, Don Cornelius, and plans to breathe new life into it. The plan is to open up the show’s archives for older consumers as well as to create a new version of the program for younger ones. New York Times.
To questions about the timing of the sale, Don Cornelius responded, “Thirty-five years is a long time.”
On the air since 1970, Soul Train has presented some of the greatest musicians in history like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Prince. Teaching generations of Americans to dance, Soul Train will continue to be, as Spike Lee said, “an urban time capsule.”
Because of this show, there isn’t a person in America who doesn’t know what a Soul Train line is. There are too many performers who have appeared on the show to name, but who are some of your favorites?
Posted at 1:08 PM, Jun 24, 2008 in Music & Film | Permalink | View Comments
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There's a new book out about the show, called A CRITICAL HISTORY OF SOUL TRAIN ON TELEVISION. It looks at the show from its start in Chicago in 1970 to the national franchise of 2008. It contains interviews with former dancers, guests, and colleagues of Cornelius.
Posted by: C.P. Lehman | June 27, 2008 10:33 PM