Evolution, influence of ‘Soul Train' chronicled NONFICTION
Evolution, influence of 'Soul Train' chronicled

Published: July 20, 2008

Anybody who was cognizant in the 1970s likely remembers "Soul Train.” The show was a spectacle that got millions of American teenagers up off their couches and swaying to the beat of the disco and soul music the show's famous dancers grooved to.

A new book, "A Critical History of Soul Train on Television” (McFarland, $35) by Christopher P. Lehman, takes readers deep into the show's history and evolution. The book begins with a focus on "Soul Train” host and producer Don Cornelius, his early Chicago years and the show's launch in 1970. The book chronicles the show's rise in popularity and cultural influence among American viewers and Cornelius' rise to celebrity.

Through interviews with former "Soul Train” cast members and an exhaustive chronology of the series, Lehman presents a complete look at a show that changed the course of the presence of blacks on television and inspired generations of musicians, dancers and television visionaries.

Lehman is an Oklahoma City native and an associate professor in the Ethnic Studies Department at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. He is the author of "American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era: A Study of Social commentary in Films and Television Programs, 1961-1973.”

— Heather Warlick

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