Harry Belafonte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry Belafonte
Belafonte in 1954
Born	Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. (1927-03-01)March 1, 1927 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 25, 2023(2023-04-25) (aged 96) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Harold George Belafonte Jr. Harry Bellanfanti Jr.
Occupation	Singer actor activist
Years active	1949–2023
Works	Discography
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Marguerite Byrd ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1957)​ Julie Robinson ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 2004)​ Pamela Frank ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	4, including Shari
Musical career
Genres	Calypso mento pop folk world
Instruments	Vocals

Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was a famous American singer, actor, and activist. He helped make calypso music popular around the world in the 1950s.

Belafonte was one of the few performers to win an EGOT. This means he won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award! His big break came with his album Calypso (1956). It was the first LP (a type of record album) by a single artist to sell over a million copies.

He was best known for his songs like "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)", and "Jamaica Farewell". Harry Belafonte sang in many styles, including blues, folk, and gospel. He also starred in movies such as Carmen Jones (1954) and BlacKkKlansman (2018).

Belafonte was a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and an important voice during the Civil Rights Movement. He also spoke out against certain government policies and was a UNICEF ambassador.

Early Life and Acting Beginnings

Harry Belafonte was born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. on March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York City. His parents were from Jamaica. His father was a chef, and his mother was a housekeeper.

From 1932 to 1940, Harry lived in Jamaica with his grandmother. He went to school there. When he returned to New York City, he attended George Washington High School. Later, he joined the U.S. Navy and served during World War II.

In the 1940s, while working as a janitor's helper, he received free tickets to the American Negro Theater. He loved acting and became friends with Sidney Poitier. They were both struggling financially. They would often buy one ticket to a play and take turns watching different acts.

Belafonte later took acting classes at The New School in New York. Famous actors like Marlon Brando and Tony Curtis were also there. He won a Tony Award for his role in the Broadway show John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1954).

Musical Journey

Starting His Music Career (1949–1955)

Harry Belafonte began singing in clubs in New York to help pay for his acting lessons. His first time performing, he was backed by the famous Charlie Parker band, which included Miles Davis.

He started recording pop songs in 1949. But he soon became very interested in folk music. He learned many songs from the Library of Congress' folk song archives. In 1953, he signed with RCA Victor. His first popular song was "Matilda", which he recorded in 1953. This song became a favorite for audience participation at his concerts.

Becoming a Star (1956–1958)

Belafonte's album Calypso (1956) was a huge success. It was the first LP in the world to sell over 1 million copies in one year. The album stayed at number one on the Billboard charts for 31 weeks!

Calypso introduced American audiences to calypso music, which came from Trinidad and Tobago. Because of this, Belafonte was called the "King of Calypso." However, he was humble about this title.

One of the most famous songs from the album is "Banana Boat Song" (also known as "Day-O"). It reached number five on the pop charts. Another popular song from the album was "Jamaica Farewell".

Mid-Career Success (1959–1970)

Belafonte with Nat King Cole in 1957

Even though he was known for Calypso, Belafonte recorded many different kinds of music. His next big hit after "The Banana Boat Song" was the funny song "Mama Look at Bubu".

In 1959, Belafonte starred in Tonight With Belafonte, a TV special. He won an Emmy Award for this show, becoming the first Jamaican American to do so. He also released two successful live albums recorded at Carnegie Hall. From his 1959 album, "Hava Nagila" became one of his signature songs.

In 1961, he performed at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Later that year, his album Jump Up Calypso also sold over a million copies. During the 1960s, he helped introduce American audiences to international artists like South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. A young Bob Dylan even played harmonica on Belafonte's 1962 album Midnight Special.

With Julie Andrews on the NBC special An Evening with Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte (1969)

As new music styles became popular, Belafonte's songs appeared less often on the charts. However, he won Grammy Awards for his albums Swing Dat Hammer (1960) and An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba (1965). The latter album spoke out against apartheid in South Africa. He also earned six Gold Records for selling many albums.

In the 1960s, Belafonte appeared on TV specials with stars like Julie Andrews and Lena Horne. In 1968, he even guest-hosted The Tonight Show for a week, interviewing important guests like Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Later Music and Activities (1971–2023)

Belafonte released his last calypso album, Calypso Carnival, in 1971. After 1974, he recorded less often and spent more time touring the world. In 1977, he released Turn the World Around, an album focused on world music.

In 1978, he was a guest on The Muppet Show. He performed "Day-O" and a spiritual song called "Turn the World Around" with special Muppets. This performance was very famous and was reportedly Jim Henson's favorite.

Belafonte performing in 1983

In 1988, Belafonte released Paradise in Gazankulu, his last studio album. It featured ten protest songs against the former Apartheid policy in South Africa. That same year, as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he performed a concert in Zimbabwe to help children in Southern Africa.

In 2001, a large music project he recorded in the 1960s and 1970s, The Long Road to Freedom: An Anthology of Black Music, was finally released. It was nominated for three Grammy Awards.

Belafonte received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989 and the National Medal of Arts in 1994. He also won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He continued to perform sold-out concerts until 2003. In 2007, he announced his retirement from performing.

In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. In 2017, he released When Colors Come Together, which included his grandchildren singing.

Film Career

Early Film Roles (1953–1956)

Belafonte at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival

Harry Belafonte starred in many films. His first movie was Bright Road (1953). He then starred with Dorothy Dandridge in the musical Carmen Jones (1954). Interestingly, their singing voices in the film were provided by opera singers.

Rising as an Actor (1957–1959)

Belafonte appeared in Island in the Sun in 1957. In 1959, he starred in and produced Odds Against Tomorrow through his own company. He also co-starred in The World, the Flesh and the Devil. He turned down a role in Porgy and Bess because he felt it showed racial stereotypes. Sidney Poitier took the role instead.

Later Films (1960–2018)

Belafonte at the 2011 Viennale

Belafonte focused more on music in the 1960s because he wasn't happy with the film roles he was offered. In the early 1970s, he appeared in more movies, including two with Sidney Poitier: Buck and the Preacher (1972) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974).

In 1984, Belafonte produced the musical film Beat Street, which was about the rise of hip-hop culture. He also helped produce its gold-certified soundtrack.

He later starred in White Man's Burden (1995) and Robert Altman's Kansas City (1996). For Kansas City, he won an award for Best Supporting Actor. His last film role was in Spike Lee's Oscar-winning movie BlacKkKlansman (2018), where he played an elderly civil rights pioneer.

Activism and Humanitarian Work

Belafonte with King Gustav VI Adolf and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964

Harry Belafonte believed that art and politics could work together. His political views were greatly influenced by Paul Robeson, a singer, actor, and civil rights activist who became his mentor. Robeson spoke out against racism in the U.S. and against colonialism in Africa. Belafonte refused to perform in the American South from 1954 to 1961 because of segregation.

In 1960, Belafonte supported John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. Kennedy later made Belafonte a cultural advisor for the Peace Corps.

Helping the Civil Rights Movement

Belafonte (center) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C with Sidney Poitier (left) and Charlton Heston

Belafonte was a strong supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a close friend and trusted advisor to Martin Luther King Jr.. He even helped support King's family financially.

During the Birmingham Campaign in 1963, Belafonte paid King's bail when he was arrested. He also raised $50,000 to help other civil rights protesters get out of jail. He supported the Freedom Riders in 1961 and helped organize the famous 1963 March on Washington.

Belafonte said that Paul Robeson gave him his "backbone" and Martin Luther King Jr. "nourished his soul." Throughout his life, Belafonte championed political and humanitarian causes, including the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa. From 1987 until his death, he was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

In 1964, during the "Mississippi Freedom Summer", Belafonte helped fund the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He flew to Mississippi with Sidney Poitier, carrying $60,000 in cash, and performed for crowds.

Humanitarian Efforts

Belafonte (left) with activist and opera star Stacey Robinson in 1988.

In 1985, Belafonte helped organize the famous song "We Are the World". This song brought together many artists to raise money for Africa. He also performed at the Live Aid concert that same year.

As a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, Belafonte traveled to Senegal in 1987. He led a meeting of artists and thinkers to focus on the needs of African children. He also helped raise money at a huge concert in Africa. In 1994, he went to Rwanda to raise awareness about the needs of children there.

In 2001, Belafonte visited South Africa to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2004, he went to Kenya to highlight the importance of educating children.

Belafonte was also involved in prostate cancer awareness after being successfully treated for the disease in 1996. He received the BET Humanitarian Award in 2006. In 2007, he helped raise a record amount of money for UNICEF on Norwegian television.

Political Views

Belafonte speaking at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C

Belafonte often spoke out about U.S. foreign policy. He criticized the U.S. embargo on Cuba and praised Soviet peace efforts. He also spoke against the U.S. invasion of Grenada.

He was very active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement against racial segregation in South Africa. He was a board member of important organizations like the TransAfrica Forum.

Belafonte gained a lot of attention in 2002 for his comments about President George W. Bush and the Iraq War. He was awarded the Domestic Human Rights Award in 2004.

He supported Barack Obama's father in the 1950s, helping him get a scholarship to study in Hawaii. In 2016, Belafonte supported Bernie Sanders for president, saying Sanders represented "truth" and "opportunity."

He was also an honorary co-chair of the Women's March on Washington in 2017.

Personal Life and Passing

Second wife Julie Robinson in 1998

Belafonte with third wife Pamela in April 2011

Harry Belafonte was married three times. His first marriage was to Marguerite Byrd from 1948 to 1957. They had two daughters, Adrienne and Shari Belafonte.

In 1957, he married Julie Robinson, a dancer. They were married for 47 years and had three children. They divorced in 2004. In 2008, he married Pamela Frank.

Belafonte had five grandchildren. He passed away from congestive heart failure at his home in New York City on April 25, 2023, at the age of 96.

Discography

Belafonte released 30 studio albums and eight live albums during his career.

Filmography

Film Roles

Documentaries

Television Appearances

Appearing (second from left) on British television discussion programme After Dark in 1988

Concert Videos

• En Gränslös Kväll På Operan (1966)
• Don't Stop The Carnival (1985)
• Global Carnival (1988)
• An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends (1997)

Theatre Work

• John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953)
• 3 for Tonight (1955)
• Moonbirds (1959) (producer)
• Belafonte at the Palace (1959)
• Asinamali! (1987) (producer)

Awards and Honors

Harry Belafonte was an EGOT honoree. This means he won a Grammy, an Emmy, a Tony, and an Oscar (though his Oscar was a special humanitarian award).

He also received many other honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989 and the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2020, Belafonte celebrated his 93rd birthday at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture acquired his large collection of photos, recordings, letters, and other items.

Images for kids

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  Belafonte in 1954

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  Belafonte with Nat King Cole in 1957

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  With Julie Andrews on the NBC special An Evening with Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte (1969)

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  Belafonte performing in 1983

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  Belafonte in 1996

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  Belafonte at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival

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  Belafonte at the 2011 Viennale

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  Belafonte with King Gustav VI Adolf and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964

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  Belafonte (center) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C with Sidney Poitier (left) and Charlton Heston

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  Belafonte (left) with activist and opera star Stacey Robinson in 1988.

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  Belafonte speaking at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C

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  Belafonte in 2003

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  Belafonte in 2013

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  Second wife Julie Robinson in 1998

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  Belafonte with third wife Pamela in April 2011

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  Appearing (second from left) on British television discussion programme After Dark in 1988

See also

In Spanish: Harry Belafonte para niños