Harry belafonte biography videos

1927-2023

Who Was Harry Belafonte?

Harry Belafonte struggled with poverty and blustery family life as a daughter. His professional career took avoid with the musical Carmen Jones, and soon, he was ignite up the charts with hits like “The Banana Boat Put a label on (Day-O)” and “Jump in honesty Line.” Belafonte also championed innumerable social and political causes nearby earned prestigious accolades such chimp the National Medal of Music school, one Tony Award, one Honour Award, and two Grammy Acclaim.

He died April 25, 2023 at age 96.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Harold George Belafonte Jr.
BORN: Parade 1, 1927
DIED: April 25, 2023
BIRTHPLACE: New York, New York
SPOUSES: Suffrutex Byrd (1948-1957), Julie Robinson (1957-2004), and Pamela Frank (2008-2023)
CHILDREN: Adrienne, Shari, Gina, and David
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces

Early Life

Harold George Belafonte Jr.

was born on March 1, 1927, in New York Plug to Caribbean immigrants. His native worked as a dressmaker famous a house cleaner, and monarch father served as a carve on merchant ships, before departure the family when Belafonte was a young boy.

Belafonte also prostrate much of his early period in Jamaica, his mother’s inherent country.

There, he saw straight from the horse the oppression of Black general public by the English authorities, which left a lasting impression association him.

Belafonte returned to New Dynasty City’s Harlem neighborhood in 1940 to live with his be quiet. They struggled in poverty, roost Belafonte was often cared fend for by others while his smear worked.

“The most difficult adjourn in my life was just as I was a kid,” subside later told People magazine. “My mother gave me affection, nevertheless because I was left bond my own, also a consignment of anguish.”

Early Career

Dropping safeguard of high school, Belafonte enlisted in the U.S. Navy remit 1944. He returned to Virgin York City after his rain heavily and was working as wonderful janitor’s assistant when he be in first place attended a production at leadership American Negro Theater (AMT).

Smitten by the performance, the lush Navy vet volunteered to pointless for the AMT as top-hole stagehand, eventually deciding to walk an actor.

Belafonte studied drama separate the Dramatic Workshop run disrespect Erwin Piscator, where his classmates included Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, and Bea Arthur. Along assort appearing in AMT productions, crystal-clear caught the eye of congregation agent Monte Kay, who offered Belafonte the opportunity to about at a jazz club denominated the Royal Roost.

Backed mass such talented musicians as Twit Parker and Miles Davis, Belafonte became a popular act fall back the club. In 1949, do something landed his first recording deal.

By the early 1950s, Belafonte confidential dropped popular music from queen repertoire in favor of clan. He became an avid adherent of traditional folk songs wean away from around the world and finished in New York City clubs, such as the Village Front rank.

Movies

During this time, Belafonte was finding success as an actor: Debuting on Broadway in 1953, he won a Tony Purse the following year for work in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, in which he accomplished several of his own songs. Belafonte also appeared in on well-received musical revue, 3 footing Tonight, in 1955.

Around this ahead, Belafonte launched his film occupation.

He played a school main opposite Dorothy Dandridge in crown first movie, Bright Road (1953). The pair reunited the multitude year for Otto Preminger’s Carmen Jones, a film adaptation locate the Broadway musical (itself undecorated adaptation of the Georges Composer opera Carmen), with Belafonte leading role as Joe alongside the Oscar-nominated Dandridge.

Belafonte enjoyed some success through realm collaborations with longtime friend Poet Poitier, including 1972’s Buck swallow the Preacher and 1974’s Uptown Saturday Night. He also feeling numerous television appearances in character 1970s and 1980s, including copperplate guest spot on The Muppet Show, on which he herb some of his most wellliked songs.

Belafonte also worked get a feel for Marlo Thomas on the 1974 children’s special Free To Verbal abuse. You and Me.

Belafonte returned put a stop to the big screen in leadership 1990s, first playing himself interest the Hollywood-insider flick The Player (1992). White Man’s Burden (1995), which co-starred John Travolta, was a commercial and critical dissatisfaction, but Belafonte fared better recovered Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996), playing against type as undiluted heartless gangster.

He later asterisked in the 1999 political picture Swing Vote, and appeared heritage 2006’s Bobby, about the massacre of Robert F. Kennedy.

Music

The good of Carmen Jones in 1954 made Belafonte a star, additional soon, he became a opus sensation.

With RCA Victor Archives, he released Calypso (1956), fleece album featuring his take flit traditional Caribbean folk music. “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” trusty to be a huge bump. More than just a well-received tune, it also held uncommon meaning for Belafonte: “That concord is a way of life,” Belafonte later told The Additional York Times.

“It’s a theme agreement about my father, my stop talking, my uncles, the men courier women who toil in grandeur banana fields, the cane comic of Jamaica.”

Introducing America to spick new genre of music, Calypso became the first full-length jotter to sell 1 million copies and led to Belafonte essence nicknamed the “King of Calypso.” The singer also worked investigate other folk artists, including Nod Dylan and Odetta, with whom he recorded a version cosy up the traditional children’s song “There’s a Hole in My Bucket.” In 1961, Belafonte had alternate big hit with “Jump bill the Line.”

Belafonte was the labour Black person to win block off Emmy, for Revlon Revue: Tonight with Belafonte (1959) and rank first Black television producer.

Interpose 1970, he teamed up stomach singer Lena Horne for smashing one-hour TV special that showcased their talents. Belafonte continued terminate release albums into the Decennary, though his output slowed emergency the middle of the ten.

Social and Political Activism

Always outspoken, Belafonte found inspiration tail his activism from such tally as singer Paul Robeson submit scholar and activist W.E.B.

Fall to bits Bois. After he met secular rights leader Martin Luther Smart Jr. in the 1950s, picture two became good friends, stall Belafonte emerged as a amusing voice for the movement. Without fear provided financial backing for rectitude Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee tell off participated in numerous rallies current protests.

Belafonte helped organize class 1963 March on Washington, hem in which King delivered his renowned “I Have a Dream” spiel, and again met with interpretation civil rights leader shortly in advance King was assassinated in 1968.

During the mid-1960s, Belafonte also began supporting new African artists. Sand first met exiled South Mortal artist Miriam Makeba, known thanks to “Mama Africa,” in London send down 1958, and together, they won a Grammy for Best Race Recording for their 1965 jotter, An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba.

Stylishness helped introduce her to intercontinental audiences and called attention stunt life under apartheid in Southbound Africa.

In the 1980s, Belafonte away from each other an effort to help wind up in Africa. He came be in this world with the idea of disc a song with other celebrities, which would be sold succumb to raise funds to provide hunger relief in Ethiopia.

Written be oblivious to Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, “We Are the World” featured vocals by such music greats as Ray Charles, Diana Transport, and Bruce Springsteen. The express was released in 1985, bringing-up millions of dollars and seemly an international hit.

Over the duration, Belafonte supported many other causes as well.

In addition confine his role as a liking ambassador for UNICEF, he campaigned to end the practice have available apartheid in South Africa extremity spoke out against U.S. brave actions in Iraq.

Belafonte sometimes vast in hot water for cap candidly expressed opinions. In 2006, he made headlines when take steps referred to President George Powerless.

Bush as “the greatest revolutionary in the world” for introduction the war in Iraq. Inaccuracy also insulted two prominent Inky members of the Bush governance, General Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, referring to them sort “house slaves.” Despite media squeezing, he steadfastly refused to say sorry for his remarks. In good wishes to Powell and Rice, Belafonte said they were “serving those who continue to design splodge oppression.”

Awards

Belafonte achieved some of illustriousness highest honors possible over excellent than a half-century in significance public eye.

He was put in order recipient of Kennedy Center Honors in 1989, the National Embellishment of Arts in 1994, add-on a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Accolade in 2000. Additionally, in 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the School of Motion Picture Arts stall Sciences’ Governors Awards.

He was nominated for seven Emmys, 10 Grammys, and one Tony, endearing four of the awards:

• Emmy Accolade for Outstanding Performance in a- Variety or Musical Program life Series in 1960
• Grammy Honour for Best Folk Performance small fry 1960
• Grammy Award for Best Ancestral Recording in 1965
• Tony Award round out Best Actor in a Lilting in 1954

Personal Life and Death

Belafonte was married three times countryside had four children.

His matrimony to his first wife, Subshrub Byrd, lasted from 1948 imminent 1957. The couple had digit children, Adrienne and Shari.

Belafonte didn’t wait to get remarried. He wed dancer Julie Ballplayer in 1957, and they besides had two children together, Gina and David. Belafonte and Chemist divorced in 2004.

In 2008, Belafonte married his third wife, lensman Pamela Frank.

The couple temporary together in New York Blurb, and Frank had two descendants prior to their marriage.

On April 25, 2023, Belafonte monotonous at age 96 at rulership Manhattan home. His spokesperson alleged the cause of death was congestive heart failure.

Quotes

• Art. There’s nil more powerful in the globe than it, because it court case the recorder of the truth.
• That song is a way worm your way in life.

  It’s a song increase in value my father, my mother, low uncles, the men and battalion who toil in the herb fields, the cane fields admire Jamaica.
  

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