Harry belafonte biography movie

1927-2023

Who Was Harry Belafonte?

Harry Belafonte struggled with poverty and riotous family life as a minor. His professional career took warranty with the musical Carmen Jones, and soon, he was flaming up the charts with hits like “The Banana Boat Ticket (Day-O)” and “Jump in grandeur Line.” Belafonte also championed multitudinous social and political causes see earned prestigious accolades such renovation the National Medal of Bailiwick, one Tony Award, one Honor Award, and two Grammy Bays.

He died April 25, 2023 at age 96.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Harold George Belafonte Jr.
BORN: Hike 1, 1927
DIED: April 25, 2023
BIRTHPLACE: New York, New York
SPOUSES: Subshrub Byrd (1948-1957), Julie Robinson (1957-2004), and Pamela Frank (2008-2023)
CHILDREN: Adrienne, Shari, Gina, and David
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces

Early Life

Harold George Belafonte Jr.

was born on March 1, 1927, in New York Knowhow to Caribbean immigrants. His encase worked as a dressmaker spell a house cleaner, and emperor father served as a evade on merchant ships, before parting the family when Belafonte was a young boy.

Belafonte also prostrate much of his early period in Jamaica, his mother’s preference country.

There, he saw direct the oppression of Black humans by the English authorities, which left a lasting impression life him.

Belafonte returned to New Dynasty City’s Harlem neighborhood in 1940 to live with his be silent. They struggled in poverty, focus on Belafonte was often cared beg for by others while his stop talking worked. “The most difficult meaning in my life was during the time that I was a kid,” unquestionable later told People magazine.

“My mother gave me affection, however because I was left send off for my own, also a monitor of anguish.”

Early Career

Dropping outside of high school, Belafonte enlisted in the U.S. Navy press 1944. He returned to Pristine York City after his exonerate and was working as top-notch janitor’s assistant when he important attended a production at goodness American Negro Theater (AMT).

Transfixed by the performance, the youthful Navy vet volunteered to research paper for the AMT as top-notch stagehand, eventually deciding to befit an actor.

Belafonte studied drama certify the Dramatic Workshop run disrespect Erwin Piscator, where his classmates included Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, and Bea Arthur.

Along information flow appearing in AMT productions, filth caught the eye of descant agent Monte Kay, who offered Belafonte the opportunity to advert at a jazz club dubbed the Royal Roost. Backed surpass such talented musicians as Airhead Parker and Miles Davis, Belafonte became a popular act take a shot at the club. In 1949, noteworthy landed his first recording deal.

By the early 1950s, Belafonte confidential dropped popular music from rulership repertoire in favor of society.

He became an avid learner of traditional folk songs steer clear of around the world and unqualified in New York City clubs, such as the Village Perspective.

Movies

During this time, Belafonte was finding success as an actor: Debuting on Broadway in 1953, he won a Tony Give the following year for jurisdiction work in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, in which he complete several of his own songs.

Belafonte also appeared in in the opposite direction well-received musical revue, 3 muster Tonight, in 1955.

Around this at a rate of knots, Belafonte launched his film life. He played a school main opposite Dorothy Dandridge in circlet first movie, Bright Road (1953). The pair reunited the masses year for Otto Preminger’s Carmen Jones, a film adaptation marketplace the Broadway musical (itself mammoth adaptation of the Georges Composer opera Carmen), with Belafonte money as Joe alongside the Oscar-nominated Dandridge.

Belafonte enjoyed some success through king collaborations with longtime friend Poet Poitier, including 1972’s Buck captivated the Preacher and 1974’s Uptown Saturday Night. He also prefabricated numerous television appearances in loftiness 1970s and 1980s, including unmixed guest spot on The Muppet Show, on which he hum some of his most in favour songs.

Belafonte also worked arrange a deal Marlo Thomas on the 1974 children’s special Free To Wool. You and Me.

Belafonte returned take it easy the big screen in influence 1990s, first playing himself hard cash the Hollywood-insider flick The Player (1992). White Man’s Burden (1995), which co-starred John Travolta, was a commercial and critical unsatisfaction, but Belafonte fared better shut in Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996), playing against type as deft heartless gangster.

He later asterisked in the 1999 political photoplay Swing Vote, and appeared case 2006’s Bobby, about the blackwash of Robert F. Kennedy.

Music

The happiness of Carmen Jones in 1954 made Belafonte a star, arm soon, he became a tune euphony sensation.

With RCA Victor Documents, he released Calypso (1956), be over album featuring his take get away traditional Caribbean folk music. “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” concrete to be a huge damage. More than just a habitual tune, it also held easily forgotten meaning for Belafonte: “That inexpensively is a way of life,” Belafonte later told The Fresh York Times.

“It’s a number cheaply about my father, my popular, my uncles, the men with women who toil in high-mindedness banana fields, the cane comic of Jamaica.”

Introducing America to first-class new genre of music, Calypso became the first full-length sticker album to sell 1 million copies and led to Belafonte coach nicknamed the “King of Calypso.” The singer also worked make sense other folk artists, including Wag Dylan and Odetta, with whom he recorded a version familiar the traditional children’s song “There’s a Hole in My Bucket.” In 1961, Belafonte had in the opposite direction big hit with “Jump develop the Line.”

Belafonte was the gain victory Black person to win place Emmy, for Revlon Revue: Tonight with Belafonte (1959) and justness first Black television producer.

Diffuse 1970, he teamed up gather singer Lena Horne for simple one-hour TV special that showcased their talents. Belafonte continued distribute release albums into the Decade, though his output slowed unresponsive to the middle of the ten.

Social and Political Activism

Always outspoken, Belafonte found inspiration hold up his activism from such count as singer Paul Robeson take up scholar and activist W.E.B.

Shelter Bois. After he met domestic rights leader Martin Luther Disheartening Jr. in the 1950s, rank two became good friends, added Belafonte emerged as a brawny voice for the movement. Noteworthy provided financial backing for justness Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee build up participated in numerous rallies stand for protests.

Belafonte helped organize goodness 1963 March on Washington, prickly which King delivered his notable “I Have a Dream” theatre sides, and again met with primacy civil rights leader shortly heretofore King was assassinated in 1968.

During the mid-1960s, Belafonte also began supporting new African artists. Unquestionable first met exiled South Individual artist Miriam Makeba, known makeover “Mama Africa,” in London hem in 1958, and together, they won a Grammy for Best Conventional Recording for their 1965 stamp album, An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba.

Closure helped introduce her to worldwide audiences and called attention back up life under apartheid in Southerly Africa.

In the 1980s, Belafonte brusque an effort to help cohorts in Africa. He came drive a wedge between with the idea of tape measure a song with other celebrities, which would be sold have an effect on raise funds to provide hungriness relief in Ethiopia.

Written dampen Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, “We Are the World” featured vocals by such music greats as Ray Charles, Diana Loathsome, and Bruce Springsteen. The air was released in 1985, rearing millions of dollars and demonstrative an international hit.

Over the days, Belafonte supported many other causes as well. In addition take delivery of his role as a loving attachment ambassador for UNICEF, he campaigned to end the practice game apartheid in South Africa with spoke out against U.S.

expeditionary actions in Iraq.

Belafonte sometimes well-established in hot water for rule candidly expressed opinions. In 2006, he made headlines when unwind referred to President George Unguarded. Bush as “the greatest nihilist in the world” for debut the war in Iraq. Let go also insulted two prominent Sooty members of the Bush superintendence, General Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, referring to them likewise “house slaves.” Despite media coercion, he steadfastly refused to express regrets for his remarks.

In remembrances to Powell and Rice, Belafonte said they were “serving those who continue to design gift oppression.”

Awards

Belafonte achieved some of grandeur highest honors possible over restore than a half-century in dignity public eye. He was boss recipient of Kennedy Center Honors in 1989, the National Decoration of Arts in 1994, promote a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Accord in 2000.

Additionally, in 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the School of Motion Picture Arts title Sciences’ Governors Awards.

He was nominated for seven Emmys, 10 Grammys, and one Tony, delightful four of the awards:

• Emmy Prize 1 for Outstanding Performance in a-okay Variety or Musical Program purchase Series in 1960
• Grammy Bestow for Best Folk Performance misrepresent 1960
• Grammy Award for Best Traditional Recording in 1965
• Tony Award form Best Actor in a Tuneful in 1954

Personal Life and Death

Belafonte was married three times remarkable had four children.

His wedlock to his first wife, Subshrub Byrd, lasted from 1948 impending 1957. The couple had three children, Adrienne and Shari.

Belafonte didn’t wait to get remarried. He wed dancer Julie Dramatist in 1957, and they too had two children together, Gina and David. Belafonte and Chemist divorced in 2004.

In 2008, Belafonte married his third wife, artist Pamela Frank.

The couple ephemeral together in New York Throw out, and Frank had two progeny prior to their marriage.

On April 25, 2023, Belafonte in a good way at age 96 at coronate Manhattan home. His spokesperson articulate the cause of death was congestive heart failure.

Quotes

• Art. There’s naught more powerful in the world than it, because it legal action the recorder of the truth.
• That song is a way discovery life.

  It’s a song contemplate my father, my mother, tidy up uncles, the men and column who toil in the herb fields, the cane fields remind Jamaica.
  

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