Where this was said
Going National: Chicago to LA and the Dual-Show Era
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The Chicago success was undeniable, but Don Cornelius had bigger ambitions. In 1971, he relocated to Los Angeles to produce Soul Train as a nationally syndicated, full-color show — one that would reach every city in America that chose to air it. But here's what's remarkable: he didn't shut down the original Chicago version. For approximately five years, both ran simultaneously — the local black-and-white weekday version and the national color weekend show. Cornelius's routine was extraordinary: fly to LA on Fridays, shoot two episodes Saturday and two on Sunday, fly back to Chicago for the Monday afternoon broadcast. Josh notes that TV syndication itself was a revolutionary model — selling directly to local stations rather than through a major network — and that Soul Train's embrace of it gave Cornelius total creative control in addition to total ownership.
Johnson Products, makers of Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, was founded in 1954 and became one of Soul Train's earliest and longest-running sponsors.
