Harry Belafonte, Legendary Entertainer and Activist, Dead at 96

Harry Belafonte, activist and groundbreaking singer who popularized Calypso music, has died. He was 96.

He passed away on the morning of Tuesday, April 25, at his Upper West Side home in New York City, as reported by The New York Times. According to his publicist, the musician died of congestive heart failure.

Belafonte was born on March 1, 1927, in New York City to Jamaican immigrant parents.

Before becoming a singer, Belafonte wanted to be an actor. After attending a production at the American Negro Theater in Harlem, he became enamored with the craft and volunteered to work as a stagehand, later on joining productions as an actor.

He went on to study acting at The New School's Dramatic Workshop, alongside Hollywood greats Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, Sydney Poitier, and Bea Arthur, who were then in the early stages of their careers.

While doing theater work, Belafonte would spend his free time at jazz club Royal Roost, where he became friendly with the venue's booking agent, Monte Kay. After growing frustrated with lack of growth in his acting career, he approached Kay, asking for the opportunity to perform. He quickly became one of the club's biggest acts.

Belafonte signed to label RCA Records in July 1949. His first hit single was "Matilda," released in 1953. He put out his debut album the following year, titled Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites. However, it wasn't until 1956 that Belafonte released his chart-topping single, "Banana Boat (Day-O)," which was featured in his breakthrough third album, Calypso. The LP topped the Billboard album chart, remaining there for 31 weeks.

Through his hits, Belafonte popularized calypso music in the US, earning the moniker "Calypso King."

The musician didn't put his acting career on pause while his music took off. He received his first film role in 1953's Bright Road. When he became frustrated with the lack of roles offered to Black actors, he decided to start his own production company, HarBel Productions. Under HarBel, Belafonte starred and produced Odds Against Tomorrow and The World, the Flesh and the Devil. He also received an Emmy in 1959 for his TV special Revlon Revue: Tonight With Belafonte, making history as the first Jamaican American to be honored with the award.

He continued acting for decades, with his final role being in Spike Lee's 2018 film, BlacKkKlansman.

The entertainer was also invested in politics throughout his life, becoming involved in the Civil Rights Movement throughout the '50s and '60s. He offered financial help to Martin Luther King Jr. and his family, and participated in the March on Washington in 1963. In 2005, he founded The Gathering for Justice, a social justice organization that focuses on ending juvenile incarceration and racial injustices in the justice system.

Belafonte married three times. His first wife was Marguerite Byrd; their marriage lasted from 1948 until 1957. They had two daughters, Adrienne and Shari, separating while Byrd was pregnant with the latter. He then married dancer Julie Robinson in 1957, with whom he had two more children, David and Gina. They divorced after 47 years, in 2004. Four years later, he marred Pamela Frank, who remained with him until his death.

Belafonte is survived by his four children, five grandchildren, and wife Pamela.