The internet is awash in memories of "Soul Train" this week, because of the loss of Don Cornelius, the host, who died from an apparent suicide. A little-discussed fact of the internet is that watching YouTube clips of "Soul Train" is a surprisingly effective form of stress relief.
And so is partying down at the Panda Party! So come join us and spin some tunes. Sadly, we can't create a "Soul Train"-style line with our cute avatars, but you can play at home.
RIP, Don Cornelius. My memories of that era are really dim, since I was a little kid, but I remember that well into the 90s, every dance party occasion would burst, at some point, into a "Soul Train" line. Now it's more like a circle thing, where people are pushed into the middle to show off their moves. I am fine with both methods, though feel the line version was less pressure-intensive. Share your memories in comments! Or come into Panda Party and share them there.
------
Registration is now required! We're still in the process of getting it all squared away, so for the moment don't forget to Login or Register using the links in the upper left menu before starting to write your comment.
When I was in the middle grades, Soul Train reruns were syndicated in the afternoons. My friend Bobby turned me on to Soul Train at his house after school one day. We thought the dancers looked so cool and were having so much fun, we wanted to be like them.
Chicago is a very segregated city, more so back in the 70s-80s, so Soul Train was one of my first exposures to Black people. Sadly by 8th grade I had caught the ‘Disco Sucks’ fever and it took me another decade or so to get over that. I still don’t like Steve Dahl, but came back around to appreciating Don Cornelius and the impact he had on me and Bobby.