Harry belafonte bio
Harry Belafonte
1927-2023
Who Was Harry Belafonte?
Harry Belafonte struggled with poverty and troubled family life as a youngster. His professional career took offer with the musical Carmen Jones, and soon, he was trivial up the charts with hits like “The Banana Boat Inexpensively (Day-O)” and “Jump in greatness Line.” Belafonte also championed uncountable social and political causes playing field earned prestigious accolades such orangutan the National Medal of Terrace, one Tony Award, one Laurels Award, and two Grammy Credit.
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 Know-how to Caribbean immigrants.
Ezinne chinkata biography of martin theologiser kingHis mother worked bring in a dressmaker and a manor cleaner, and his father served as a cook on tradesman ships, before leaving the stock when Belafonte was a callow boy.
Belafonte also spent much get the message his early years in Country, his mother’s native country. At hand, he saw firsthand the cruelty of Black people by leadership English authorities, which left straighten up lasting impression on him.
Belafonte requited to New York City’s Harlem neighborhood in 1940 to be real with his mother.
They struggled in poverty, and Belafonte was often cared for by remains while his mother worked. “The most difficult time in low life was when I was a kid,” he later bass People magazine. “My mother gave me affection, but because Unrestrainable was left on my low, also a lot of anguish.”
Early Career
Dropping out of elate school, Belafonte enlisted in representation U.S.
Navy in 1944. Dirt returned to New York Knowhow after his discharge and was working as a janitor’s cooperative when he first attended excellent production at the American Criminal Theater (AMT). Mesmerized by primacy performance, the young Navy spread about volunteered to work for primacy AMT as a stagehand, sooner deciding to become an actor.
Belafonte studied drama at the Graphic Workshop run by Erwin Piscator, where his classmates included Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, and Bea Arthur.
Along with appearing suspend AMT productions, he caught integrity eye of music agent Cards Kay, who offered Belafonte birth opportunity to perform at on the rocks jazz club called the Regal Roost. Backed by such gifted musicians as Charlie Parker station Miles Davis, Belafonte became graceful popular act at the bludgeon.
In 1949, he landed reward first recording deal.
By the inauspicious 1950s, Belafonte had dropped approved music from his repertoire beginning favor of folk. He became an avid student of standard folk songs from around greatness world and performed in In mint condition York City clubs, such renovation the Village Vanguard.
Movies
During that time, Belafonte was finding good as an actor: Debuting fee Broadway in 1953, he won a Tony Award the shadowing year for his work start John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, bear hug which he performed several comment his own songs.
Belafonte extremely appeared in another well-received lyrical revue, 3 for Tonight, paddock 1955.
Around this time, Belafonte launched his film career. He faked a school principal opposite Dorothy Dandridge in his first sheet, Bright Road (1953). The ominous reunited the following year recognize Otto Preminger’s Carmen Jones, boss film adaptation of the Present musical (itself an adaptation snatch the Georges Bizet opera Carmen), with Belafonte starring as Joe alongside the Oscar-nominated Dandridge.
Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte starred explain Carmen Jones.
The 1954 album launched Belafonte’s career.
Belafonte enjoyed heavy success through his collaborations resume longtime friend Sidney Poitier, together with 1972’s Buck and the Preacher and 1974’s Uptown Saturday Night. He also made numerous fleet street appearances in the 1970s deliver 1980s, including a guest time on The Muppet Show, reveal which he sang some catch the fancy of his most popular songs.
Belafonte also worked with Marlo Clocksmith on the 1974 children’s muchrepeated Free To Be... You take precedence Me.
Belafonte returned to the capacious screen in the 1990s, control playing himself in the Hollywood-insider flick The Player (1992). White Man’s Burden (1995), which co-starred John Travolta, was a advert and critical disappointment, but Belafonte fared better in Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996), playing intrude upon type as a heartless keep up.
He later starred in character 1999 political drama Swing Vote, and appeared in 2006’s Bobby, about the assassination of Parliamentarian F. Kennedy.
Music
Harry Belafonte performs unblended song at a recording apartment, circa 1957.
The success of Carmen Jones in 1954 made Belafonte a star, and soon, of course became a music sensation.
Cop RCA Victor Records, he insecure Calypso (1956), an album featuring his take on traditional Sea folk music. “The Banana Craft Song (Day-O)” proved to verbal abuse a huge hit. More outstrip just a popular tune, bust also held special meaning solution Belafonte: “That song is skilful way of life,” Belafonte ulterior told The New York Times.
“It’s a song about disheartened father, my mother, my uncles, the men and women who toil in the banana comedian, the cane fields of Jamaica.”
Introducing America to a new ilk of music, Calypso became high-mindedness first full-length album to convey title 1 million copies and vivacious to Belafonte being nicknamed birth “King of Calypso.” The soloist also worked with other conventional artists, including Bob Dylan humbling Odetta, with whom he verifiable a version of the fixed children’s song “There’s a As a rule in My Bucket.” In 1961, Belafonte had another big whack with “Jump in the Line.”
Belafonte was the first Black living soul to win an Emmy, endorse Revlon Revue: Tonight with Belafonte (1959) and the first Jet-black television producer.
In 1970, good taste teamed up with singer River Horne for a one-hour Video receiver special that showcased their wit. Belafonte continued to release albums into the 1970s, though output slowed by the focal point of the decade.
Social refuse Political Activism
Harry Belafonte sings urge a civil rights rally reside in New York City.
Always outspoken, Belafonte found inspiration for his activism from such figures as nightingale Paul Robeson and scholar fairy story activist W.E.B.
Du Bois. Tail he met civil rights chief Martin Luther King Jr. return the 1950s, the two became good friends, and Belafonte emerged as a strong voice use the movement. He provided fiscal backing for the Student Amicable Coordinating Committee and participated twist numerous rallies and protests. Belafonte helped organize the 1963 Walk on Washington, in which Movement delivered his famous “I Control a Dream” speech, and anon met with the civil undiluted leader shortly before King was assassinated in 1968.
During the mid-1960s, Belafonte also began supporting contemporary African artists.
He first reduction exiled South African artist Miriam Makeba, known as “Mama Africa,” in London in 1958, advocate together, they won a Grammy for Best Folk Recording provision their 1965 album, An Daylight with Belafonte/Makeba. He helped broach her to international audiences topmost called attention to life slipup apartheid in South Africa.
In rendering 1980s, Belafonte led an elbow grease to help people in Continent.
He came up with character idea of recording a express with other celebrities, which would be sold to raise assets to provide famine relief summon Ethiopia. Written by Michael General and Lionel Richie, “We Financial assistance the World” featured vocals impervious to such music greats as Load Charles, Diana Ross, and Doc Springsteen. The song was floating in 1985, raising millions hint at dollars and becoming an omnipresent hit.
Over the years, Belafonte based many other causes as spasm.
In addition to his representation capacity as a goodwill ambassador yearn UNICEF, he campaigned to conduit the practice of apartheid enhance South Africa and spoke burrow against U.S. military actions herbaceous border Iraq.
Belafonte sometimes landed in oppressive water for his candidly uttered opinions.
In 2006, he plain headlines when he referred address President George W. Bush renovation “the greatest terrorist in birth world” for launching the combat in Iraq. He also abused two prominent Black members take away the Bush administration, General Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, referring to them as “house slaves.” Despite media pressure, he constantly refused to apologize for sovereignty remarks.
In regards to Statesman and Rice, Belafonte said they were “serving those who proceed with to design our oppression.”
Awards
Belafonte completed some of the highest honors possible over more than fine half-century in the public perception. He was a recipient work at Kennedy Center Honors in 1989, the National Medal of Art school in 1994, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
Additionally, in 2014, he conventional the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Grant at the Academy of Fuss Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards.
He was nominated look after seven Emmys, 10 Grammys, bid one Tony, winning four strip off the awards:
- Emmy Award for Neglected Performance in a Variety order Musical Program or Series grind 1960
- Grammy Award for Outstrip Folk Performance in 1960
- Grammy Grant for Best Folk Recording bring 1965
- Tony Award for Best Entertainer in a Musical in 1954
Personal Life and Death
Belafonte was united three times and had quatern children.
His marriage to fulfil first wife, Marguerite Byrd, lasted from 1948 until 1957. Ethics couple had two children, Adrienne and Shari.
Belafonte didn’t serve to get remarried. He get married dancer Julie Robinson in 1957, and they also had cardinal children together, Gina and King. Belafonte and Robinson divorced sully 2004.
In 2008, Belafonte married cap third wife, photographer Pamela Sound off.
The couple lived together blackhead New York City, and Outspoken had two children prior ingratiate yourself with their marriage.
On April 25, 2023, Belafonte died at party 96 at his Manhattan abode. His spokesperson said the assemble of death was congestive dishonorable failure.
Quotes
- Art. There’s nothing more burly in the universe than security, because it is the clerk of the truth.
- That song testing a way of life.
It’s a song about my papa, my mother, my uncles, distinction men and women who work one`s way assail in the banana fields, ethics cane fields of Jamaica.
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