Remembering Harry Belafonte
Singer and actor Harry Belafonte in a recording studio, circa 1957
NEW YORK CITY — Harry Belafonte, the singer best known for his dynamic a cappella shout of "Day-O!" from "The Banana Boat Song" and other folk music from around the world, passed away on April 25 at his Manhattan home. He used his entertainment fortune to support the global and domestic civil rights movements. He was 96.
According to his publicist Ken Sunshine, congestive heart failure was the cause of death. Born to Jamaican immigrants, Mr. Belafonte grew up in poverty as a child in Harlem during the Great Depression before becoming a significant Black crossover success in mainstream music. Throughout his five decades as a movie, television, and stage star, he continued to break down numerous barriers. His creative and charitable endeavours regularly overlapped, reflecting his belief that “the role of art isn’t just to show life as it is but to show life as it should be.”
Mr. Belafonte, a close friend of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., worked for years as an intermediary between the civil rights movement and the entertainment hubs of Hollywood and New York City. Through initiatives like the "We Are the World" recording and performances in 1985, he also leveraged his influence to support the South African famine relief effort and the anti-apartheid movement.
He harshly criticized both Republican and Democratic American presidents for not doing enough to put a stop to wars overseas or to conflicts at home. He called out George W. Bush's administration over the 2003 invasion of Iraq and stirred up controversy by comparing Colin Powell, the time secretary of state and also of Jamaican ancestry, to a "house slave."
Mr. Belafonte rose to stardom in the 1950s with a brazen sensuality that flouted sexual taboos during a time of racial segregation. Mr. Belafonte portrayed the love interest of white actress, Joan Fontaine in "Island in the Sun" (1957), which was released a year after the Production Code of the film industry repealed its restriction on depicting interracial sexual relationships in motion pictures. He was advertised as the first Black matinee idol for mainstream audiences.
Aside from his roles as actor, activist, producer, Belafonte was a singer above all. His 1956 album, ‘Calypso’ sold more than a million copies making him a brief rival of Elvis Presley on the pop music charts. His large success also ignited interest in Caribbean music across the globe. According to cultural critic and academic Henry Louis Gates Jr., "There had never been any singer that popular with White middle-class audiences as well as Black audiences." He was the musical voice of civil rights in that way, a change agent.
After overcoming hardship, Mr. Belafonte was determined to leave his mark—his voice—even if it meant sacrificing his personal and professional success. He once told the London Guardian, "I'm a driven man. I'm "driven by ego, driven by conscience, always looking for another song."
Click to watch the trailer for “The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show" by Yoruba Richen
Click to watch the trailer for “Sing Your Song" by Susanne Rostock