Legendary Musician and Activist Harry Belafonte Dead at 96

Legendary musician, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte has died. He was 96 years old. He passed away in his home in Manhattan, New York, from congestive heart failure.

Born at Lying-in Hospital on March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York, the singer, whose full name was Harold George Bellanfanti Jr., was the son of Jamaican-born parents Harold George Bellanfanti Sr. and Melvine Love.

In the 1950s, Belafonte rose to popularity as he brought the sounds of the Caribbean to American audiences, popularizing the Calypso style. His 1956 album, Calypso, was the first million-selling LP by a solo artist.

As a singer, he is widely known for songs like “Jump in the Line,” “The Banana Boat Song” and other pop hits. Belafonte also recorded the genres of gospel, folk, and blues. In his career, he won three Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. He also won an Emmy and a Tony.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Belafonte was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. He was also a mentee of the great artist, thinker, and activist Paul Robeson. In 1969, Belafonte received the Kennedy Center Honors. In 1994, Belafonte, who was also active in the anti-Apartheid movement, received the National Medal of Arts.

Belafonte, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II after high school, took acting classes later in the ’40s at The New School in New York City. He fell in love with the art form after seeing Sidney Poitier. He won his first Tony in 1954.

His music career started in the Big Apple as a way to help pay for his acting. The first time he performed, though, he was backed by legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker, along with Max Roach and even Miles Davis. Later, he performed with the Rat Pack in Las Vegas. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Throughout his life, Belafonte was active in politics and civil rights. He opposed the George W. Bush presidency and had been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy. He was also a humanitarian and activist, helping to organize “We Are The World,” recording and working to teach people about the HIV/AIDS epidemic around the globe.

In his decorated, prolific career, Belafonte acted in dozens of films, including Spike Lee’s BlackKkKlansman in 2018. His second and third studio albums, both released in 1956, went No. 1.

During his lifetime, Belafonte was thrice married. He is survived by his wife Pamela Frank and four children, including model, actress, and singer Shari Belafonte.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Ripple Of Hope Awards