Don and Delores were 02/01/12 AT 4:24 PM EST Don Cornelius was found dead on Wednesday, from a gunshot wound to the head that authorities believe was self-inflicted. Viktoria will now get approximately $300,000 in benefits from two life insurance policies Cornelius had, according to TMZ. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Eastwood Christian Don Cornelius Suicide: Sons Says Family Never Knew How Troubled It seems like Don and Delores separated because he quit his day job in order to pursue a career in TV, despite having two infant children and a wife at home. The show would later become Soul Train.. Peace, Love & Soul: The Legacy and Final Sign-Off of Don Cornelius Don Cornelius - IMDb Don Cornelius was married twice in his lifetime. Offers may be subject to change without notice. "It's hard to imaginehow you feel. Ms Durham said her mother loved St Davids and knew all the history. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. He was 75 years old. I wanted to do a Black American Bandstand," Don Cornelius said in the documentary,Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America., [Soul Train] is the godmother and godfather of all Black entertainment television," Cornelius said in a Washington Post interview in 1995. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, Jon & Kate's kids Leah, Alexis, Aaden & Joel, 18, seen in rare photos, Kelly Clarkson slammed for 'awful' and 'cruel' parenting decision, Kim's real skin and body revealed in unedited & unapproved new pic, American Idol's Katy and Lionel to be replaced by 'big-time stars', 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Don Cornelius was the creator of Soul Train. Don Cornelius, the creator of Soul Train, was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home Wednesday morning. At that time, Cornelius had an estimated value of around $15million, according to Celebrity Net Worth Was Don Cornelius married? With his first wife, Delores, Cornelius had two sons, Anthony and Raymond.. 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! sweetheart, his first and only wife. Dancer shares her wild ride on TV's legendary 'Soul Train' A memorial service is set for Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, though no word if it'll be open to the public. ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc. When he was old enough, Don enlisted in the Marines where he served in South Korea and was there for a year and a half. As of February 2012, no images appear to be available to the she could. Viktoria Chapman Cornelius: Don Cornelius' Ex-Wife was Adult Film Star He wanted to expose the masses to a new way of looking at black-oriented television. In dramatizing the rise of Soul Train which, airing nationally from 1971 to 2006, was once the longest-running TV show in first-run syndication Cornelius didnt want to pull any punches about his father. Why did don reid divorce his wife gloria? - Answers MORE: Don Cornelius' Shocking Suicide: Aretha, Rihanna, Quincy, Arsenio and More Remember Soul Train Icon. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. "It's just one of those things. A gem: Dolores Harrison on the steps of Carter House (Photograph supplied), Family outing: Dolores Harrison with daughters Donna Boddington, left, and Kim Durham, at her 80th birthday celebration at Carter House in St Davids (Photograph supplied). There isn't a lot known about their marriage or Don's early life with his first wife. What happen to Don Cornelius first wife Delores Harrison? In 1966, Cornelius began a three-month broadcasting course and ended up finding a job as an announcer, reporter, and DJ for the Chicago-based station, WVON. . Victoria and Don had been together for nine years until they parted ways in 2009 in a divorce that embodies controversy even till date. All Rights Reserved. "We opened up the doors and people were extremely happy about dance, music and style," he noted. Victoria Avila Cornelius (Don Cornelius' Wife): Daughter, Age, Net Born on September 27, 1936, Don Cornelius grew up in the Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville. Delores Harrison . He wanted the rocky relationship to be behind him. It was one of many accolades the pioneer earned: He was also inducted into Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. He told an L.A. judge he was suffering from significant health issues and wanted to finalize this divorce before I die, according to TMZ. Ms Durham said: She enjoyed working there, liked people and loved tourists. Viktoria Chapman Cornelius has had quite a colorful past. Delores Harrison and Don Cornelius | Married Divorced Children Ex Soon after, Freeman had her first encounter with Cornelius "He was as fly as Shaft," she says. When Rosie Perez auditioned for the show, Cornelius detested her dancing. Wearing the famous Don Cornelius Afro in American Soul is Sinqua Walls (Power), who needed a little hair help to re-create that look. He remarried in 2001, to Viktoria Chapman. . Cornelius had two young sons when he moved the show to LA. AKA Donald C. Cornelius. The previous year, Cornelius was arrested on charges of domestic violence and was placed on 36 months of probation. In 2008, Cornelius was arrested at his Mulholland Drive home on suspicion of domestic violence. Don Cornelius Said Cornelius: "He's always taught me [that] it's the fine points that count, and he wanted to achieve quality. However, her past was a bit speckled.