Don Cornelius with Full Force on an episode of Soul Train
*Bowlegged Lou says he and his group Full Force have always enjoyed a special relationship with Don Cornelius – so much so that the creator and host of “Soul Train” agreed to participate in the band’s “Unsung” special that premiered Monday, despite having turned down every single request from TV One to participate in other “Unsung” episodes, including shows on The Spinners, The O’Jays and Bootsy Collins.
Cornelius had even RSVP’d for TV One’s screening of its Full Force “Unsung” that took place Saturday in Los Angeles, and Lou was prepared to present him at the event with an engraved plaque that expressed the group’s appreciation of his support throughout the years.
But for some reason, Cornelius never showed up.
Plaque that was to be presented to Don Cornelius by Full Force at Saturday's "Unsung" screening in Los Angeles
While fans continue to express shock and disbelief over the death of Don Cornelius, Bowlegged Lou is struggling with a broken heart.
Bow Legged Lou
In the below phone conversation with EURweb’s Lee Bailey, Lou shares his personal memories of Cornelius, and expresses deep frustration that the TV icon was never properly celebrated while he was alive. [Scroll down to watch Full Force perform on "Soul Train."]
He will be greatly missed. He paved the way for many Black enterainers to get national exposure for their talents.
By Steve Johnson Tribune reporter
6:14 p.m. CST, February 1, 2012
Old friends from Chicago were busy remembering Don Cornelius Wednesday, but no one had had a more recent encounter than Marv Dyson, the longtime radio executive.
“I just spoke with him yesterday, and he left three voice-mail messages on my machine yesterday,” including a cryptic one about checking into a hospital, said Dyson, who knew Cornelius from the city’s black radio “fraternity.”
Dyson had been speaking with Cornelius in recent weeks about projects related to “Soul Train” in Chicago and about trying to land a Grammy Awards ticket for his son, who attends college in Los Angeles.
“He said, ‘Oh, let me get back to you on that, Marv, and I’ll reach out to you tomorrow,’” said Dyson, who owns a group of small-market radio stations. “He sounded very up and into his career. That’s why it was hard to understand why he would kill himself.”
But at another point recently, said Dyson, Cornelius had balked at the idea of returning to Chicago for broadcasting honors; Cornelius said he wasn’t sure he wanted people to see him as he was. Dyson said he was told Cornelius had begun to show some effects of dementia.
Dyson said when he got to his office today, after he had heard the news of Cornelius’ suicide, he discovered the three messages that the “Soul Train” host and producer had left him last night.
One gave him details on who to talk to about the Grammy ticket, said Dyson, and “one said he might not get back to me because he was going in the hospital.”
“He was talking slow,” said Dyson. “I think that was probably because of the onset of dementia, I’m told now.”
I knew Don for over 20 years and last saw him for lunch last fall. As long as I have known him, he’s always talked slowly, and that was deliberate. I don’t understand why you would mention dementia, especially when it’s hearsay according to you; and even if it was factual, there’s nothing useful or helpful about you spreading that out into the world.
Undoubtably there will be a lot of speculation about why he chose to exit the way he did, but adding speculative fuel to the fire does not help honor the memory and legacy of an important trailblazer and more importantly a good man.
I would hope in the future that you would be a bit more thoughtful and considerate before sharing ‘opinions’ like that.