Musician and actor Harry Belafonte has died.
Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96. Stock photo. PDO
Harry Belafonte was 96 years old when he died. The New York Times reported on the matter.
Belafonte’s cause of death was heart failure.
Belafonte was an actor, musician and human rights activist. Perhaps the most famous song of his very long career is The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)which has also been translated into Finnish The Banana Loader’s Song.
Belafonte’s Calypso, released in 1956, is the first album in history to reportedly sell over a million copies. The music was heavily influenced by Caribbean calypso music.
Belafonte was born in 1927 in Harlem, New York. In the early days of his career, he was banned from performing in the southern states of the United States because of his skin color.
Belafonte was the first black actor to get roles in Hollywood films. These films were, among other things, released in 1959 They escaped tomorrow and Kansas City (1996). However, the acting career did not last very long.
Belafonte became a prominent supporter of the civil rights movement early on and Martin Luther King Jr supporter. For example, Belafonte paid King’s bail while he was incarcerated. After King’s murder, Belafonte financially supported King’s family.
Belafonte’s career lasted a long time and included hundreds of recordings and several tours.
His last album was Paradise in Gazankulu, released in 1988, where apartheid was opposed.
He left the concert stages only in 2003.
Belafonte had four children and was married three times.