Harry Belafonte: 5 unknown facts about 'King of Calypso' who died aged 96
Harry Belafonte, the civil rights activist and the 'King of Calypso' who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and then a humanitarian, has died. Belafonte, who was 96, died on Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home.
Belafonte will be remembered as one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, as a singer, musician, and actor. But his advocacy for civil rights in the 1960s and his anti-apartheid work in the 1980s will be remembered forever. Let us remember his great personality by unearthing some unknown facts about him.
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5 unknown facts about Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte served in the US Navy
Belafonte, who has died aged 96, grew up in Jamaica and New York. He served in the US Navy and worked as a caretaker’s assistant before studying drama and becoming an actor, singer, and campaigner against political and social injustice.
Harry Belafonte's marriages
Belafonte was married three times, first from 1948 to 1957 to Marguerite Byrd, with whom he had two daughters, the activist Adrienne and the actress Shari. With his second wife, Julie Robinson, he had two more children - actress Gina and music producer David. He and Robinson divorced after 47 years, and in 2008 he married Pamela Frank.
First African American to win an Emmy
Belafonte had natural charisma which was incomparable, on stage and behind the microphone. He won a Tony Award for his acting on Broadway and was the first African American to win an Emmy award for his 1959 variety show.
Harry Belafonte's relationship with Martin Luther King Jr
Belafonte also built a friendship with King, another powerful Black leader. King often flew to New York City to raise money for the movement and to meet key advisors. According to nypost.com, During one trip, he called Belafonte, greeting him with, "We've never met, so you may not know who I am."
Harry Belafonte's mentor was a Renaissance man
Belafonte also looked for a way to merge his activism with his career and found a mentor and friend in Paul Robeson. The Black stage and film actor was a Renaissance man, a star athlete, and an Ivy League-educated intellectual who became an outspoken civil rights activist and a critic of US foreign policy. Belafonte called Robeson part of his "moral compass," according to democracynow.org.