Harry Belafonte, Singer, Actor and Civil Rights Activist, Dies at 96
thewrap.comHarry Belafonte, the legendary singer known for hits including “Banana Boat (Day-O)” and “Jump in the Line,” has died. He was 96.According to a statement from Belafonte’s team, the singer died of congestive heart failure, at his home.
Within the industry, Belafonte was a trailblazer and record breaker. He earned the first gold record in history for selling over 1 million LPs of his RCA album “Calypso,” a Tony for his first Broadway appearance in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, and as the first black producer in television, he won an Emmy for his CBS production of “Tonight with Belafonte”.But, beyond his entertainment career, Belafonte was a fierce civil rights advocate, and had a close friendship with Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. “Belafonte’s global popularity and his commitment to our cause is a key ingredient to the global struggle for freedom and a powerful tactical weapon in the Civil Rights movement here in America,” King once said of Belafonte. “We are blessed by his courage and moral integrity.”Belafonte was a leading figure in ending apartheid, as well as freeing Nelson Mandela.
When Mandela was eventually freed, Belafonte was chosen by the African National Congress to organize Mandela’s tour of America, and later was appointed by President John F.
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