Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96.
The singer/actor passed away at his Manhattan home on Tuesday due to congestive heart failure, his longtime spokesman Ken Sunshine told The New York Times.
Born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, New York to Caribbean-born of us, Belafonte turned into a wide wide title within the 1950s. He helped popularise calypso tune, even supposing he later performed in many a form of genres such as folks, blues and American requirements.
The musician became as soon as maybe most efficient diagnosed for songs including Day-O (The Banana Boat Tune), Soar within the Line and Jamaica Farewell, whereas his leap forward 1956 album Calypso is believed to be the first album by a single artist to promote better than 1,000,000 copies.
As properly as to his tune occupation, Belafonte furthermore turned into an actor, showing in motion images such as Carmen Jones, Island within the Solar, Odds In opposition to Day after lately, and 2018’s BlacKkKlansman – which marked his final role.
The barrier-breaking story became as soon as furthermore a famous civil rights activist and a chum and supporter of Martin Luther King Jr.
Belafonte bought many honours over the direction of his occupation, including a Grammy Lifetime Success Award in 2000, a Kennedy Center Honor in 1989 and the Nationwide Medal of Arts in 1994. He became as soon as offered with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Academy of Motion Image Arts and Sciences in 2014 in recognition of his civil rights activism.
The icon became as soon as married to Marguerite Byrd between 1948 and 1957, Julie Robinson from 1957 to 2004, and Pamela Frank from 2008.
Belafonte is survived by his wife Pamela, four young of us, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren.