'Soul Train' Creator Don Cornelius Dies of Apparent Suicide

Don Cornelius, creator and host of the iconic TV dance show “Soul Train,” was found dead on Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles-area home, police said. The 75-year-old is believed to have committed suicide.

According to the AP, officers responded to a report of a shooting at his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home at around 4 a.m. He was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 4:56 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.

Celebrities mourned his passing on Twitter. “Black music never looked so good. R.I.P. Don Cornelius,” tweeted Keri Hilson, while Common called him “a true pioneer and trailblazer to the biz!”

“Soul Train” debuted in 1970 in Chicago and aired nationally from 1971 to 2006, introducing legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Barry White.