The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style
Music critic and novelist George (The Plot against Hip Hop, 2011) runs down the story of the barrier-breaking and hugely influential television show Soul Train, which for 35 years delivered “love, peace, and soul” to households everywhere in the form of hit songs, innovative dance moves, and “freaky, fantastic” fashions. Inspired by the civil rights movement, Chicago radio reporter turned television trailblazer Don Cornelius, whom George describes as the epitome of cool, boldly carved out the first mass-media space for “black dance by black dancers presented by a black producer.” In this lively, documentary-style biography of an instant hit show with remarkable draw and staying power (1971–2006), George considers Cornelius’ complexities (he took his own life in 2012), recounts the appearances of stellar performers (James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Kurtis Blow), profiles the show’s most memorable dancers (Damita Jo Freeman, Jeffrey Daniel, Jody Watley, Rosie Perez), and chronicles the launching of dance trends (locking, waaking, the electric boogaloo). George’s swift ride through the decades of Soul Train is a kaleidoscopic trip through one of the brightest zones in the evolution of American culture. --Donna Seaman