Singer, Actor and Activist Harry Belafonte dies at age 96

American singer, Harry Belafonte has died at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, aged 96. 

The singer, actor, and civil rights activist who broke down racial barriers, died on Tuesday, April 25.

The cause of his death was congestive heart failure, said Ken Sunshine, his longtime spokesman. 

Belafonte stormed the pop charts and smashed racial barriers in the 1950s with his highly personal brand of folk music, and who went on to become a dynamic force in the civil rights movement. 

Belafonte almost single-handedly ignited a craze for Caribbean music with hit records like “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell.” His album “Calypso,” which included both those songs, reached the top of the Billboard album chart shortly after its release in 1956 and stayed there for 31 weeks. Coming just before the breakthrough of Elvis Presley, it was said to be the first album by a single artist to sell more than a million copies. 

Success as a singer led to movie offers, and Mr. Belafonte soon became the first Black actor to achieve major success in Hollywood as a leading man. 

Early in his career, he befriended the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and became not just a lifelong friend but also an ardent supporter of Dr. King and the quest for racial equality he personified. He put up much of the seed money to help start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was one of the principal fund-raisers for that organization and Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. 

He provided money to bail Dr. King and other civil rights activists out of jail. He took part in the March on Washington in 1963. His spacious apartment on West End Avenue in Manhattan became Dr. King’s home away from home. And he quietly maintained an insurance policy on Dr. King’s life, with the King family as the beneficiary, and donated his own money to make sure that the family was taken care of after Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.

NEW YORK (AP) — Reaction poured in Tuesday from heads of state, civil-rights leaders and the entertainment world following the death of Harry Belafonte at age 96. As a prominent activist, charismatic singer, Hollywood leading man, Broadway star and trailblazing Black entertainer, Belafonte's loss was felt across a wide swath of American life. 

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"Jill and I are saddened by the passing of a groundbreaking American who used his talent, his fame, and his voice to help redeem the soul of our Nation. Harry Belafonte was born to Caribbean parents in Harlem, New York on March 1, 1927, when segregation was the order of American society. To our Nation’s benefit, Harry never accepted those false narratives and unjust boundaries. He dedicated his entire life to breaking barriers and bridging divides. ... Harry Belafonte’s accomplishments are legendary and his legacy of outspoken advocacy, compassion, and respect for human dignity will endure. He will be remembered as a great American." — President Joe Biden. 

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“Harry Belafonte was a barrier-breaking legend who used his platform to lift others up. He lived a good life – transforming the arts while also standing up for civil rights. And he did it all with his signature smile and style. Michelle and I send our love to his wife, kids and fans.” — Former President Barack Obama. 

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“In the spirit of (W.E.B.) Du Bois, (Paul) Robeson and many others, Harry Belafonte stood tall among them. Mr. B sang our songs, he carried our hopes and dreams. With his passing, this is not only a deep and personal loss for me, but for the people of the world who have also lost a beloved artist and humanitarian.” — Actor and activist Danny Glover, a longtime friend of Belafonte.

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“You were a complicated father who lived one of the fullest lives in human history. I’m so grateful and lucky to have been and be so close to you. To know how much you loved me and were proud of my path. You always told me to never forget how much you love me and i am grateful you knew how much I loved hearing it. You could be harsh and terrifying, you could be strong and strategic. But when you pulled me in, close to your heart the embrace was ever lasting. You lived with purpose and we are all better for your contributions.” — Gina Belafonte, daughter of Belafonte. ___

“May God Have My Dear Friend Harry Belafonte At A Peaceful Rest. We Are Losing Our Giants Left And Right. We Have To Celebrate Our Elders While They Are With Us.” — Spike Lee, who directed Belafonte's final film, 2018's BlacKkKlansman." 

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“Another ‘GREAT TREE’ has fallen: Harry Belafonte, a Trailblazer and Hero to us all. Thank you for your music, your artistry, your activism, your fight for civil rights and justice — especially risking your life back in the day to get money to the movement. Your being here on Earth has Blessed us all.” — Oprah Winfrey.