King of Calypso

When he was six, he saw the cruelty on blacks by the English which left a lasting impression on him. He fought for civil rights alongside Martin Luther King. 

Triumphed over racial barriers, he emerged as one of the most successful African-American pop stars in history.

He was the first African American to win an Emmy and has three three Grammy Awards to his name.

Childhood

Harold George “Harry” Belafonte, Jr was born on March 1, 1927 in New York as the oldest son of Caribbean immigrants. His parents divorced when he was a little kid. He was sent to Jamaica to live with his relatives.

He returned to New York in 1939 to live with his mother. Dropping out of high school, Belafonte enlisted in the US Navy. He worked a series of odd jobs before finding his career inspiration— after he attended a performance of the American Negro Theater.

Career

Belafonte started his career in music as a club singer to pay for his acting classes. In 1949, he landed his first recording deal. By 1950, Belafonte had switched his musical style, dropping popular music from his repertoire in favor of folk.

Around this time, Belafonte launched his film career. His first film role was in “Bright Road” (1953). The following year, he starred in a musical, “Carmen Jones” which made him a star and music sensation.

His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) became the first LP in the US to sell over 1 million copies within a year. Belafonte had also recorded in many different genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards.

Belafonte proved to be a ground-breaker in another realm as well: He became the first African-American television producer, working on numerous musical shows.

By the mid-1970s, Belafonte was no longer hitting the charts. On the big screen, he had some success but decided to take a break from movie-making.

In the 1990s, Belafonte returned to the big screen with two films which were a commercial and critical disappointment. 

Social Activism

Belafonte supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963.

In 1994 he went on a mission to Rwanda and launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the needs of Rwandan children. In 2001 he went to South Africa to support the campaign against HIV/AIDS.

Personal Life

Belafonte lives with his third wife Pamela Frank. The couple wed in 2008. He has two children with second wife, dancer Julie Robinson, to whom he was married for nearly 50 years. He also has two other children from his first marriage to Marguerite Byrd.

He has sometimes landed in hot water for his candidly expressed opinions. In 2006, he made headlines when he referred to President George W. Bush as “the greatest terrorist in the world” for launching the war in Iraq.  Despite media pressure, he steadfastly refused to apologize for his remarks.