The Emotions, seen here, were one of Soul Train’s first featured artists. During the 1970s, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand featured popular musical acts with a similar premise — to entertain and showcase new artists. But Soul Train’s focus on the funk and R&B genres differentiated it from Clark’s offerings, and it became an instant success, nabbing syndication rights the year following its debut.
Don Cornelius and the Legacy of Soul Train
A photographic look at the seminal dance program and its late creator.