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The son of "Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius revealed on Thursday that his father called him shortly before he committed suicide, saying he was "very unhappy" and that his health was failing.
Don Cornelius' death at 75 has shocked both "Soul Train" fans and the hundreds of musicians who appeared on his iconic 1970s music and dance TV show.
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'It was a call of urgency'
The day Don Cornelius shot himself in the head in his Los Angeles home, he made an early call to his son, Tony.
"It was a call of urgency," Cornelius told CBS This Morning. "I came to his home immediately."
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"He had been very unhappy about some things that had gone on in his life," the "Soul Train" creator's son continued. "And his health was failing."
'My father was extremely private'
Tragically, however, none of his family realized the extent of Cornelius' depression until after his death.
"My father was extremely private, and unfortunately, when you're a private person, you keep things inside," Tony Cornelius said.
Even Tony, who considered himself "extremely close" to his father, Don, didn't see just how much he was suffering.
"I could tell he was uncomfortable," Cornelius said. "But our family could never know that he would--how uncomfortable he really was."
Cornelius Family Issues Statement
Tony Cornelius has issued a statement on his father's death, thanking "Soul Train" fans for their support and asking everyone to respect the family's need for privacy.
"The family is saddened as we mourn the loss of Don Cornelius," he said in a statement to CNN.
