Little was known about Don Cornelius’ private life when he was at the height of his fame. “My father was extremely private and unfortunately, when you’re a private person, you keep things inside,” his son, Tony, told Reuters in the aftermath of his tragic death. As a result, few people except those closest to him were aware of the circumstances that led to his decision to quit being the face of “Soul Train.”
Read Related Also: Woman Escapes Attack By Estranged Husband Who Detailed Her Kidnapping And Murder In Note, Prosecutors Say
In 1982, Don Cornelius underwent an operation that would change his life forever. The “Soul Train” host was suffering from a congenital brain condition that required medical intervention to fix malformed blood vessels. He rarely discussed his condition, though he gave an insight into the effect the procedure had on his day-to-day life in a 1995 interview with The Washington Post: “My health history does not allow me to be what I used to be as a manager or as an entrepreneur.” Of the procedure, which reportedly took 21 hours, he said: “You choose your brain surgeons for their stamina. You’re never quite the same afterward. Travel is always a real test.”
