All Access: Soul Train Keeps Rolling With Second-Annual Awards [With Video]

Ronald Isley and Anita Baker get honored, but Rick Ross gets derailed.

The Second Annual Soul Train Awards were less about the dispensing of awards than about showcasing great rhythm and blues music, and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the show that first brought that music to American households every Saturday morning.

"Soul Train really was the beginning of that Black power movement, when we could actually see ourselves," said host Terrence Howard as Faith Evans and El Debarge strolled along the red carpet (which was actually a light shade of purple) serenading each other.

The distinguished and diverse audience in attendance—from Tyler Perry to Rick Ross, from Kamie Crawford, miss Teen USA to Rep. Terry Sewell, the first black woman to represent Alabama in the U.S. Congress—reflected the enduring power of Don Cornelius's vision four decades after he launched the dance show on a local Chicago channel. Taped two weeks ago, the show will air on BET's Centric network on Sunday Nov. 28.

Inside Atlanta's Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, R. Kelly kicked things off with a roof-raising number that left no doubt that he's still very much in championship form. "I wish I had more time," Kells lamented—and the audience clearly agreed. But there was just too much to squeeze into one night: a succession of powerful moments and performances that artfully blended living legends and rising stars. Erykah Badu and Cee Lo Green each delivered stunning visual as well as musical experiences. both Gyptian and Jasmine Sullivan got the well-dressed but party-ready crowd out of their seats with raggamuffin and R&B-girl swag, respectively. Bruno Mars brought guitars and a string section to the party, while Eric Benet, Tank and Rachelle Ferrell did things with their voices that no Pro Tools plug-in can even approximate.

The evening's undisputed highlights were the two Soul Train Legends awards: First up was Anita Baker, whose timeless 1986 album Rapture and the 1988 follow-up Giving You The Best That I've Got made soul music pop and exerted a profound influence on generations of R&B vocalists to come. Ms. Baker took time out during her acceptance speech to note that all the music that night was being played by "real musicians"—and that the artists on stage that night "were really singing." If that seemed like a subtle dig at the Auto-Tune/MPC crowd, maybe it was. But the eight-time Grammy Winner, whose name is already on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, mostly seemed caught up in the rapture as a succession of remarkable voices interpreted her classics with the kind of feeling that can't be faked.

Of the eleven announced categories, just five Soul Train Awards (Song of The Year, Best new Artist, Best Reggae Artist, Best Hip Hop Song, and the Centric Award for the most promising new artist) were presented during the marathon taping, which ended after 1:30 in the morning with a tribute to Mr. Biggs himself, the legendary Ronald Isley. The lead singer and founding member of the Isley Brothers, who released their first record, "Shout," over half a century ago, was released from prison this past May after serving three years in federal prison for tax evasion. with his three-year-old son sitting in his wife Kandi's lap, the soul legend gripped his gold-tipped cane tightly as he gave an emotional acceptance speech. his heartfelt words—followed by an apparently impromptu performance—must have made it all worthwhile for presenter Steve Harvey. The comedian, bestselling author, and host of a popular radio show that will soon be broadcast on Centric, informed the crowd repeatedly that the only reason he was staying up so late was because of his deep respect for Ronald Isley. "This ain't the Source Awards," Harvey quipped between takes. "We've got to go to work in the morning. But I'm here because that's my man."

Oscar-nominated co-hosts Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard brought a pleasantly salty chemistry to the night, and their dance battle segment—particularly Taraji's skin-tight outfit—was simply phenomenal. it was also a welcome moment of hip hop in a show that sometimes struggled to bridge a generation gap. Though Don Cornelius always enjoyed kicking it with the likes of Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown, he did not turn his back on rap. "The first time I seen Kurtis Blow on there, that's the first time they brought rap to Soul Train," reminisced DJ Kid Capri, who later joined Just Blaze and Biz Markie onstage to present the award for best Hip-Hop Song of the year.

Unfortunately Soul Train's big hip hop moment of the year ran off the rails. although Rick Ross was in the building, and was scheduled to perform on the show, his epic smash "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" was not nominated but did not take the prize. The winning MC did not attend, but CNN anchorman Wolf Blitzer accepted on his behalf, quipping, "who better than me to accept this award for him?"

"I told people Ross is ahead of time ten years ago," DJ Khaled said before the show as he walked the purp carpet with Ricky Rozay. "Rick Ross's first performance on Soul Train, that's gonna be big." But on this night he and the Bawse decided to jump off the Train and catch a Maybach instead. —Rob Kenner

All Access: Soul Train Keeps Rolling With Second-Annual Awards [With Video]

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