The Week of January 21, 2007: IN BLACK HISTORY
SOUL TRAIN
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Soul Train is a long-running American music-related syndicated television program. It premiered on local television station WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois in 1970 and went into first-run syndication in selected cities across the United States on October 2, 1971. New episodes are still being broadcast in first-run syndication today, and the show's opening claims that it is the "longest running first-run syndicated program in television history." The program features African American singers and performers almost exclusively, although a few white musicians such as Elton John, The Romantics, Gino Vannelli, David Bowie, Teena Marie, Captain and Tennille, Michael McDonald, Paula Abdul, Sheena Easton, The Beastie Boys, a-ha, Michael Bolton, JoJo, The Backstreet Boys, Wild Orchid and Christina Aguilera have also appeared on Soul Train through the years. Artists usually lip sync their latest songs and are interviewed by the show's host. Soul Train has primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although jazz musicians and gospel singers have also appeared. In addition, there is an in-studio group of dancers who dance along to the music as it is being performed. (Rosie Perez, Carmen Electra, Nick Cannon, Jody Watley, singer Jermaine Stewart, singer/producer Pebbles, and NFL greats Walter Payton and Fred Williamson all got noticed dancing on the program over the years) From its inception until 1993, the host of Soul Train was Don Cornelius, who is also the program's creator.

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REST IN PEACE: (R.I.P.)