Soul Train

The musical Soul Train is based off the hit music variety TV show of the same name which first aired on October 2, 1971 and was known as one of the first television shows to showcase black musicians.

Don Cornelius and Soul Train TV Show

Soul Train was created by Don Cornelius, a radio announcer who wanted to bring soul music and R&B to American television. Soul Train was an immediate success and the show quickly moved from its local channel in Chicago to a national broadcast based in Los Angeles. Over the years Soul Train broadcast 1,117 episodes and hosted music legends like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. Cornelius stepped down as host after 22 years in 1993.

The TV show continued with three more hosts before a decline in ratings forced the show’s cancellation on March 27, 2006. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, one of the front men of the Grammy award winning hip-hop band The Roots, serves as executive producer for the Broadway version of Soul Train. In 2013, Questlove wrote the book Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation which discussed the cultural legacy of Soul Train. Don Cornelius’s son, Tony Cornelius, also serves as a producer on the show.

Soul Train on Broadway

The Broadway show is written by playwright Dominique Morisseau, who recently authored the book for the 2019 Broadway hit show Ain’t Too Proud. The show is directed by Kamilah Forbes, known for directing Meet Vera Stark, and is choreographed by Camille A. Brown, who worked on the choreography for Broadway revival of Once on This Island. The show’s 2021 Broadway premiere commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1971 television debut of Soul Train.