Don Cornelius

Credit: Getty

UpdatePosted 02/01/2012 02:00PM

Don Cornelius Remembered by Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle & More

Originally posted 02/01/2012 12:55PM

Soul Train fans and music legends alike mourned the loss of the show's creator, Don Cornelius, on Wednesday.

"It's just so sad, stunning and downright shocking ... a huge and momentous loss to the African-American community and the world at large," the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, said in a statement.

"Don Cornelius single handedly brought about a melding and unity of brother and sisterhood among young adults worldwide and globally with the unforgettable creation of Soul Train."

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Filed Under: Death, Music News, Aretha Franklin, Don Cornelius, Patti LaBelle

Credit: Paul Natkin/WireImage

Don Cornelius, Soul Train Creator, Is Dead

Originally posted 02/01/2012 10:25AM

Soul Train creator Don Cornelius was found dead Wednesday morning in his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home. He was 75.

He "died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," L.A. Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter tells PEOPLE. "Earlier this morning, paramedics had responded to his L.A. residence at the 12,600 block of Mulholland Drive. He was transported to the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:56 a.m. An investigation is ongoing."

According to Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Sara Faden, Van Nuys police officers responded to his home at 4 a.m. "Mr. Cornelius was transported to the hospital where he was declared deceased," she tells PEOPLE. "Our detectives are still on the scene."