Harry Belafonte, singer and trailblazing civil rights icon, dies at 96

Harry Belafonte, a singer, actor and activist who brought the calypso style of music to the forefront of pop culture, has died, his spokesman said. He was 96.

Belafonte died of heart failure on Tuesday at his home in New York City, with his wife, Pamela, by his side, his spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.

Born March 1, 1927, in New York City, Belafonte was a high school dropout who served in the Navy. He later enrolled in the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research, which featured a star-laden student body, including Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur, Rod Steiger and Tony Curtis.

He arrived as a musical force with his 1956 album, “Calypso,” which featured classic songs such as the instantly recognizable “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell.”

“Calypso” marked the beginning of a storied career and became the first gold record in history, selling more than one million copies.

A two-time Grammy Award winner, Belafonte also won a Tony Award for best actor in a featured role in a musical for “John Murray Anderson’s Almanac” in 1954.

The first Black producer in television, he also won an Emmy Award in 1960 for his special “Tonight with Belafonte.” In 2015, he was recognized with a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars, giving him coveted EGOT status.

Further, Belafonte was recognized as one of the honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989 and received the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame under the early influences category, with the hall recognizing how his "lyrical baritone and emotive singing connected Americans to Black world culture."

Belafonte was cast in movies throughout his career, starring in films such as “Island in the Sun,” which generated controversy for its interracial romance. His last film role was 2018’s Oscar-winning “BlacKkKlansman.”

While memorable for his work in film, Belafonte’s true legacy remained in music and activism.

A confidante of Martin Luther King, Jr., Belafonte was a key figure in the civil rights movement, helping to organize the 1963 March on Washington.

“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. We are blessed by his courage and moral integrity,” King once said.

Belafonte also led the USA for Africa effort to help address famine in the continent. Part of that effort included spearheading the 1985 song “We Are the World,” which featured a litany of popular artists at the time. The track would win four Grammy Awards.

An opponent of apartheid, Belafonte was vocal in his quest to get Nelson Mandela released after he served 27 years in a South African prison, ultimately being freed in 1990.

Belafonte, who was appointed by President Kennedy to be the cultural advisor for the Peace Corps, also served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, beginning in 1987, following the death of actor Danny Kaye.

Belafonte also created the Gathering For Justice in 2005 to stop child incarceration and put an end to racial inequity in the justice system.

He also founded Sankofa.org, which “addresses injustice and creates change at multiple levels.” In 2013, Belafonte received the Spingarn Medal, which honors achievements by Black Americans.

As news of his death spread Tuesday, Belafonte was mourned by figures across the entertainment, political and civil rights communities.

"I’m heartbroken at hearing of the death of Harry Belafonte, a true mentor and friend," Al Sharpton wrote on Instagram.

"I cherished the time he would give me and others to guide us and correct us. He was a history changing activist, a culture changing entertainer, and an unmatched intellectual. Rest in peace and Power, Mr. B."

"When I was a child, #HarryBelafonte showed up for my family in very compassionate ways," Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter Bernice King tweeted, alongside a photo of Belafonte and her mother. "In fact, he paid for the babysitter for me and my siblings. Here he is mourning with my mother at the funeral service for my father at Morehouse College. I won’t forget…Rest well, sir."

"I am deeply sad at the loss of my very dear brother — the great Harry Belafonte!" activist Cornel West tweeted. "His artistic genius, moral courage & loving soul shall live forever! God bless his precious family!"

Belafonte is survived by his wife, Pamela, his four children, two stepchildren and eight grandchildren.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com