Police discovered the body of Cornelius, 75, at his house after responding to reports of shots fired in the wealthy, hillside area of Los Angeles called Sherman Oaks where he lived. The community is home to many celebrities and entertainment executives.

"The death was reported as a suicide, a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," said Los Angeles coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter.

Cornelius was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, Police Department spokesman Kevin Maiberger said. He declined to give details because detectives were still at the scene investigating.

Cornelius launched "Soul Train" in the early 1970s as a local dance show from Chicago. It relocated to Los Angeles the following year and became part of pop culture history by boosting the careers of young artists such as the Jackson Five, and older artists such as James Brown who were trying to tap into a younger audience.

As the smooth-talking host with a deep voice, Cornelius gave to hip youths of the '70s what "American Bandstand" creator Dick Clark offered to viewers in the early days of rock 'n' roll.

As the popularity of "Soul Train" grew, the show crossed over into mainstream TV and R&B artists broadened their fan base. "Soul Train" aired until 2006, making it the longest running U.S. series in first-run syndication.

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton, a long time friend, expressed shock and grief over the news of the death.

"He brought soul music and dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown and he was a cultural game changer on a global level," Sharpton said in a statement.

Composer-producer Quincy Jones said he was "deeply saddened" at the sudden passing of his friend, colleague and business partner.

"Before MTV there was 'Soul Train,' that will be the great legacy of Don Cornelius," Jones said. "His contributions to television, music and our culture as a whole will never be matched."

(Reporting By Lauren Keiper and Jill Serjeant; writing by Dan Burns and Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Vicki Allen)

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