Harry Belafonte dead: Legendary singer was 96
nypost.comBorn in Harlem on March 1, 1927, he was raised in Jamaica before returning to the Big Apple only to drop out of high school and enlist in the US Navy.
Following his two-year stint, he was honorably discharged and went back to Manhattan.It wasn’t until later that his love for the arts shone through, and his frequent trips to a Harlem community theater enthralled him.
He joined the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research, following his passion for theater and jazz.Making history as the first black person to win an Emmy in 1960, the three-time Grammy Award winner and actor also made his mark on Broadway in “John Murry Anderson’s Almanac” and “Three for Tonight.”He earned a Tony Award, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Kennedy Center honors and National Medal of Arts throughout his century of life.
Meanwhile, he had a heavy hand in shaping the music industry with dozens of albums and compositions. Perhaps his most well-known tunes are “Banana Boat” and “Island in the Sun.”But he was more than an artist, Belafonte was also an activist and dear confidant of Martin Luther King, Jr., who applauded the artist for his “courage and moral integrity.” He’s received a multitude of honors from activist groups and received a number of awards for his commitment to the good fight.
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