Don Cornelius Quotes

One motivation for the 'Soul Train' awards was the grumbling that all of us in the industry have heard about the way black music tends to be viewed as a secondary phenomenon by the other awards shows.

Who's more important than Diana Ross?

I was never exposed to a great deal of racism, but the Chicago I grew up in was very, very segregated.

When I have a job to do, time means nothing. I lose patience with people who work on a clock.

Black music is too big and too powerful not to have its own awards show.

Soul music as we've always known it hasn't changed. There are different players now with different attitudes, but there is nothing new being done musically.

It's always a pleasure to find something that matters.

I am just convinced that people want to see people on TV who are more like themselves.

I always felt a love for music, but I never got my nerve up enough to try a musical instrument in school.

I had difficulty working for other people.

There was no match for Barry White. His music is just going to live forever. It's not limited to disco or soul or hip-hop or anything.

There were three great child singing stars: Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Jackie Washington.

The '70s and '80s were just the period during which the best soul music was created and the best records were done.

My father worked real hard. I admired him. My father taught me you needed to work with your brain and not your back. I've made that a passion.