In the 1950s, American singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte helped spread calypso music over the world. Even though he won the Oscar in a non-competitive category, Belafonte is one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. He has always been in the public eye, however, recently his de@th news has caused a plethora of attention.
Harry Belafonte, A Legend Of Calypso, Has Di*d At The Age Of 96
Harry Belafonte, who broke through racial barriers with his unique brand of folk music in the 1950s and became an influential figure in the civil rights movement, p@ssed away on Tuesday at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 96, as per The New York Times.
Ken Sunshine, his longtime publicist, stated the cause of de@th was congestive heart failure.
Mr. Belafonte’s rise to the top of the entertainment industry was groundbreaking because it occurred during a time when segregation was still commonplace and Black faces were still uncommon on screens of all sizes.
Stars Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald had already attained mainstream success before him, so he wasn’t the first Black performer to break down barriers of race. However, no one had previously made as great of an impact as he did, and for a long, no one in music—Black or white—was more popular than he was.
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Born in Harlem to parents from the West Indies, he nearly single-handedly sparked a global interest in Caribbean music with his smash hits “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell.” Both songs appeared on his album “Calypso,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart shortly after its 1956 release and remained there for 31 consecutive weeks. It was rumored to be the first record by a single artist to sell over a million copies, and it came out immediately before Elvis Presley’s breakthrough.
Mr. Belafonte was also a huge draw as a concert performer, enthralling crowds with his dramatic renditions of songs from around the world’s folk traditions, including rousing calypsos like “Matilda,” hard-hitting work songs like “Lead Man Holler,” and heartfelt ballads like “Scarlet Ribbons.”
In 1959, he had already become the highest-paid Black performer in history, with big contracts for shows in Las Vegas, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and the Palace in New York. Take a look at the official tweet by Stephen Colbert below.
One of the greatest honors and joys of my life. What a man. What a loss. #HarryBelafonte pic.twitter.com/6tJESbtrT5
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) April 25, 2023
Mr. Belafonte’s popularity as a singer led to film offers, and he quickly became the first Black actor to become a leading man in Hollywood. His time as a cinematic star was brief, though, and it was Mr. Poitier, not Mr. Belafonte, who established himself as the first legitimate Black matinee idol.
While acting was never Mr. Belafonte’s first priority, neither was music for very long. His principal concern from the late 1950s was civil rights, but he continued performing and making movie appearances into the 21st century.
He became a lifelong friend and ardent supporter of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. early in his career after meeting Dr. King, who epitomized the fight for racial equality. He was a major benefactor to both Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, providing crucial start-up capital for both groups.
He paid the bail so that Dr. King and other civil rights workers might be released from jail. In 1963, he was there for the March on Washington. Dr. King made himself at home in the large flat on West End Avenue in Manhattan. After Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, he surreptitiously kept an insurance policy on Dr. King’s life, naming the King family as the beneficiary, and gave his own money to ensure the family was taken care of.
However, in 2013, he filed a lawsuit against Dr. King’s three surviving children over documents that Mr. Belafonte claimed belonged to him but the children insisted were actually part of the King estate. After settling the lawsuit the next year, Mr. Belafonte was allowed to keep the property.