Harry Belafonte was a earth - course entertainer , a beacon fire of charisma on stage and silver screen , and an artist who refused to secernate his fine art from his activism . Here are eight things to know about him .
Born
Died
Hit Songs
Popular Movies
March 1 , 1927 ( New York City , New York )
April 25 , 2023 ( New York City , New York )
“ Day - O ( The Banana Boat Song)”“Jamaica Farewell”“Man Smart ( Woman Smarter)”“A Hole in the Bucket”“Jump in the Line ( Shake , Señora)”“Matilda”“Turn the World Around ”
Carmen Jones(1954)Island in the Sun(1957)Odds Against Tomorrow(1959)The Angel Levine(1970)Buck and the Preacher(1972)Uptown Saturday Night(1974)Kansas City(1996)BlacKkKlansman(2018 )
1.Belafontewasn’t his birth name.
Harry Belafonte wasbornHarold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem , New York , onMarch 1 , 1927 . His parents were both fromJamaica(though his father is often say to have been born in Martinique ) , where Belafonte spent some of his puerility . While in New York , his female parent ’s work visa expired , and Belafonte recalled the “ surreptitious life ” they live — moving frequently , void photos , etc.—for evade in-migration officials .
“ More than once , when my female parent venerate the gigue might be up , she change her name and bought form papers , ” hewroteinMy birdsong : A Memoir of Art , Race , and Defiance . Bellanfanti became Belanfonte , and then , after another variation or two , Belafonte . ”
2. He served in the Navy during World War II.
School frustrated Belafonte , which he laterattributedto what he suspect was undiagnosed dyslexia . He dropped out halfway through 9th grade and , in 1944,joinedthe Navy , which was still segregated at the time . Belafonte spend about a year and a one-half loading munitions onto ship , mainly in New Jersey , and was acquit in 1945 .
Back in New York , Belafonte wasadmittedto the New School ’s Dramatic Workshop — his tuition cover by the G.I. Bill — but only after appealing right away to program founding father Erwin Piscator and the rest of the table to omit his lack of a high schooling sheepskin . HisclassmatesincludedMarlon Brando , Tony Curtis , Elaine Stritch , Bea Arthur , and Walter Matthau .
3. He and Sidney Poitier used to share a single ticket at plays.
Belafonte and Sidney Poitiermetwhile working and studying at Harlem ’s American Negro Theatre when they were both 20 years old . To save money , they ’d split the monetary value of one slate to local play . “ You kept the check stub , ” Belafonte toldNPRin 2011 . “ You walk in and one of us go through the first half . We ’d give each other an update about what we learn , and the lucky one got to see the second half . It was name ‘ sharing the loading and the pleasure . ’ ”
The two went on to co - virtuoso in 1972’sBuck and the Preacherand 1974’sUptown Saturday Night — both directed by Poitier — andremainedclose friends until Poitier’sdeathin January 2022 at years 94 . ( Belafontepassed awayin April 2023 at 96 . )
4.Calypsowas the first record by a solo artist to sell 1 million copies in a year.
In 1956 , Belafonte release histhirdstudio LP , Calypso , featuring “ Day - group O ” ( a.k.a . “ The Banana Boat Song ” ) , “ Jamaica Farewell , ” “ Brown Skin miss , ” and other iconic tunes . It was an immediate achiever , topping Billboard ’s pop album chart for a total of 31 week . Calypsois wide credit with generalise calypso music around the world and also holds the distinction of being the first LP by a solo artist to deal 1 million copies in a year [ PDF ] .
5. He helped organize the 1963 March on Washington.
Belafonte was alifelong militant , aclose friendofMartin Luther King Jr. ’s , and one of the most influential members of the civil rights movement . It was Belafonte who spearhead the burster to make trusted Hollywood showed up for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 .
“ We use renown to the advantage of everything . Why not to the advantage of those who need to be liberated ? ” he toldSmithsonianMagazinein 2013 . “ My problem was to win over icons in the arts that they needed to have a presence in Washington on that twenty-four hours . Those that wanted to sit on the program could do that , but we should be in among the citizen — the average citizen — of the day . Somebody should just wrick around and there wasPaul Newman . ”
Belafonte enlisted Marlon Brando to “ chairman the lead commission from California , ” and together they gather a wizard - studded contingent — includingNewman , Lena Horne , Rita Moreno , Bob Dylan , Joan Baez , Ruby Dee , Burt Lancaster , Sidney Poitier , James Garner , Charlton Heston , Sammy Davis Jr. , Gregory Peck , Joanne Woodward , andNina Simone — to join some250,000 other peoplein peaceful protest on August 28 .
6. He loved the Muppets.
Belafonte was the Edgar Albert Guest star on time of year 3,episode 14ofThe Muppet Show , which premier in 1979 . “ That was my favored moment ever , in the history of my life sentence , ” he toldPitchforkin 2018 . “ I just loved the Muppets . I thought it was a very positive force in world culture . ”
In summation to singing “ Day - O ” with Fozzie Bear and take a brake drum struggle against Animal , Belafonte closed out the episode with “ twist the World Around , ” thetitle trackfrom his 1977 album . The number was prompt by a report he ’d heard from a fabricator in Guinea , and Belafonte performed it accompanied by custom Muppets made to resemble traditional African masks . WhenJim Hensondied in 1990 , Belafontesangthe song at his memorial service .
7.Beetlejuiceearned him a new contingent of young fans.
In the mid-1980s , producer David Geffen ask Belafonte for his permit to feature the original 1956 translation of “ Day - group O ” in Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice(1988 ) . Belafonte “ liked the musical theme ” of the story and liked Geffen , too , as he toldPitchfork , so he say yes — and even film amusic videoto follow the motion-picture show . “ Day - O ” was n’t Belafonte ’s only song to make the terminal cutting : “ Sweetheart from Venezuela ” and “ Man Smart ( Woman Smarter ) ” can be heard toward the beginning , and “ Jump in the Line ( Shake , Señora ) ” has a very memorable consequence at the destruction .
The success ofBeetlejuicepopularized Belafonte among a new demographic : nestling . “ Everywhere I conk , for about a twelvemonth , I had kids all over me : ‘ Oh!The guy rope fromBeetlejuice ! ’ ” he say . “ Wiping their hands full of tomato ketchup and mustard on my dress . I never work for such a young audience . And I enjoyed the whole excursion . ”
8. He’s an EGOT winner … sort of.
In 1960 , Belafonte became thefirst Black Emmy winnerwhen he occupy home the statue for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series ; he’dheadlineda specialepisodeofThe Revlon Revuethat lionise the music of Black America . The following year , he won his first Grammy : Best Folk Performancefor “ Swing Dat Hammer . ”
At that compass point , he already had a Tony to his name—1954’sBest Featured Actor in a Musicalfor his performance inJohn Murray Anderson ’s Almanac — which leave behind him one Oscar away fromEGOT’ing . Though he was never nominate for one , The Academy did observe him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2014 . Since that is n’t a competitive award , not everyone look at Belafonte a reliable EGOT winner , but at least he ’s in good society : Quincy Jonesalso has at least one Emmy , Grammy , and Tony , plus the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award .
