The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture &amp; 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 &#x201C;love, peace, and soul&#x201D; to households everywhere in the form of hit songs, innovative dance moves, and &#x201C;freaky, fantastic&#x201D; 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 &#x201C;black dance by black dancers presented by a black producer.&#x201D; In this lively, documentary-style biography of an instant hit show with remarkable draw and staying power (1971&#x2013;2006), George considers Cornelius&#x2019; complexities (he took his own life in 2012), recounts the appearances of stellar performers (James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Kurtis Blow), profiles the show&#x2019;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&#x2019;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