Soul Train is an American musical variety show that primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists.  Disco, funk, jazz, and gospel artists have also made appearances however.  The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first host and executive producer.  The origins of the show can be traced to Chicago in 1965 when a small upstart station began airing two youth-orientated dance programs.

On this day, October 2, in 1971, the first episode of the weekly series, Soul Train, premiered.  It featured Gladys Knight and the Pips, Eddie Kendricks, and a few others.  Based on the success of the show, the program was offered to go into national syndication.  Soul Train ran for 35 years and continues to hold the honor for the longest, continuously running first-run syndicated program in television history.