Legendary Singer-Actor Harry Belafonte Passes Away At 96

Arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, Harry is known for bringing Jamaican mento folk songs to the international audiences.

Harry Belafonte speaking at 1963 Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C

New Delhi: Harry Belafonte, singer-actor and activist, has passed away. The 'Banana Boat Song' hitmaker died of congestive heart failure. He was 96 years old. Belafonte is known for funding various initiatives in the 60s including bringing civil rights to Black Americans, campaigns against poverty, apartheid in Africa and was a lifelong supporter of left-wing politics and champions like Fidel Castro and Hugi Chavez.

Arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, Harry is known for bringing Jamaican mento folk songs to the international audiences. Born as Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem in 1927, Harry had a difficult childhood coping with dyslexia and poverty.

After the end of World War 2, he aspired to be an actor and took acting classes with classmates who included Marlon Brando and Walter Matthau. He paid for his acting classes by singing folk, pop and jazz numbers at New York club gigs where he was backed by legends like Mike Davis and Charlie Parker.

Harry Belafonte's debut album was released in 1954. His second album was the first No 1 in the new US Billboard album chart in March 1956 but its success was overpowered by his third album Calypso. 

Best known for 'Day-O ( The Banana Boat Song)', the song was in the UK singles chart for 18 weeks , including three weeks at No. 2. He set many such records.harry released 30 studio albums plus collaborative albums with various artists. He won two Grammy awards and was later recognised with two Grammy awards and a lifetime achievement Grammy and the Academy's president's merit award.

Harry Belafonte also maintained an illustrious acting career along with his singing. He used his wealth to fund various initiatives. He was mentored by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr and Paul Robeson, and bailed King out of an Alabama jail in 1963 besides also co-organising the march on Washington that ended with the historic 'I have a dream' speech by King.

Belafonte was married three times. Harry is survived by his children and Pamela Frank, whom he married in 2008.