LOS ANGELES, Calif.–An autopsy confirmed that record producer Don Cornelius, creator of the long-running syndicated TV show “Soul Train,” committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at his home in the hills east of Sherman Oaks, officials said today.
The autopsy was conducted on Feb. 3, and toxicology tests were ordered, but the results are not yet available, said coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter.
“The final coroner report will be available for release once toxicology testing has been completed,” Winter said, adding that the process could take up to six weeks.
The shooting occurred about 4 a.m. Feb. 1 in the 12600 block of Mulholland Drive. Cornelius, 75, was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Record producer Quincy Jones said that day that he was “shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend, colleague, and business partner,” calling him “a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business.”
Cornelius was born in Chicago on Sept. 27, 1936, and grew up on the city’s south side. In 1971, he launched “Soul Train,” which went on to become one of TV’s longest-running syndicated programs. He stopped hosting “Soul Train” in 1993, and the show ceased production in 2006.
