Harry Belafonte, the groundbreaking singer and actor who became a civil rights icon, has died, his publicist confirmed to CBS News. He was 96.
Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and civil rights activist whose calypso songs and commitment to social justice brought him fame and friendships with figures including Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr., has died. He was 96.
Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and activist who broke one barrier after another in his tireless fight for equality and civil rights, died on April 25. He was 96 and died of congestive heart failure, a spokesperson confirmed to TIME.
Belafonte, an acclaimed screen and stage performer also remembered for his trailblazing mainstream success in the 1950s music industry, died of congestive heart failure on Tuesday morning at his home in New York City, his longtime publicist Ken Sunshine said.
Harry Belafonte, a singer, songwriter and groundbreaking actor who started his entertainment career belting, Day O, in his 1950s hit song “Banana Boat” before turning to political activism, has died at the age of 96, the New York Times reported.
Many still know Belafonte for his 1950s signature hit “Banana Boat Song (Day-O).” But even before he won global fame as an entertainer, he saw himself as part of a grand tradition of artists who use their voices for change. His role model was Paul Robeson, the singer, actor and activist whose career was derailed by McCarthyism.
source MIIN