What Josh Clark has said about Soul Train

Clark argues Soul Train did not pioneer the dance-show format but was groundbreaking in how it presented Black teenagers and culture without apology.

“it's very, very difficult to overstate how revolutionary and groundbreaking Soul Train was, especially for how simple the show format was, basically”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: The Soul Train Episode (Jul 18, 2026) · Listen from 5:00

Clark says the moonwalk, originally called the backslide, and the robot were created on Soul Train.

“That was originally called the backslide. That was created on Soul Train. The robot, the rerun dance”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: The Soul Train Episode (Jul 18, 2026) · Listen from 7:51

Clark stresses that Don Cornelius owned 100% of Soul Train, placing him with Desi Arnaz and Mike Douglas.

“This was 100% Don Cornelius' jam”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: The Soul Train Episode (Jul 18, 2026) · Listen from 10:57

Clark credits Clinton Ghent with assembling dancers who gelled like a family rather than competing.

“It did kind of have this really family vibe every episode. And apparently that was the work of the Clinton-Gent guy who just really knew how to put people together”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: The Soul Train Episode (Jul 18, 2026) · Listen from 37:40

Clark says that, per Rosie Perez's account, Cornelius grabbed her after she wanted a lawyer to review a contract, and she threw fried chicken at him.

“she threw a piece of the fried chicken she was eating at the time right at his head and hit him in the face”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: The Soul Train Episode (Jul 18, 2026) · Listen from 40:24

Clark argues Cornelius, despite his achievements, was a complex person with faults, citing his domestic violence charge.

“He was a complex human being who had faults as well, too”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: The Soul Train Episode (Jul 18, 2026) · Listen from 41:40