(Image Source: LALate)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

Don Cornelius -- the creator of ‘Soul Train’ -- died Wednesday at the age of 75 after an apparent suicide. WFAA reports.

“Los Angeles police say he shot himself at his home on Mulholland Drive. Soul Train began in 1970 as a local show in Chicago and was syndicated nationally for three decades. No word on what might have prompted the suicide.”

KDFW says Cornelius hosted the show until 1993, and ‘Soul Train’ stopped filming in 2006. But, the station reports, Cornelius seemed to have plans for the future.

“Cornelius recently announced he was working on a movie project focusing on things that really happened on the show and exploring the program’s creation.”

Celebrity reactions poured in after the news hit. WSVN has a few:

“Reverend Al Sharpton saying, ‘I’m shocked and grief-stricken by the reported suicide of Don Cornelius of Soul Train. I’ve known him since I was 19 years old.’ Ice Cube Tweets, ‘Rest in peace. Love & Soul ... Don Cornelius.’”

And media are posting in-memoriams, too. Most wrote of Cornelius and the show as one and the same -- the show’s impact was his, and vice-versa. The Washington Post says of Soul Train ...

“It was a highlight of the week. And it’s all thanks to Don Cornelius, who introduced us to the latest music and fashion.”

And The New York Daily News says the show was “his show.”

“Don Cornelius brought color to American television — in every sense of the term. … ‘Soul Train’ made as deep, and beloved, an impression on audiences for what it looked like as what it sounded like.”

Though media reports indicate the death appears to be a suicide-- The Los Angeles Times explains, police are still investigating.

“Officials said it probably will take several days to make a final determination about the death … they stressed it will take days to fully investigate, including interviewing friends and family and examining evidence …”