Famed actor, singer Harry Belafonte died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan at the age of 96.
Belafonte’s longtime representative, Ken Sunshine, confirmed in a press release that Belafonte died Tuesday morning “of congestive heart failure at his New York home at the age of 96, his wife Pamela [Frank] by his side.”
The Jamaican-American Belafonte rose to prominence as an entertainer in the 1950s, appearing in films like Carmen Jones (1954), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), and The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959). Belafonte made acting history twice: he was the first black man to win a Tony (in 1954 for ‘Almanac’) and the first to win an Emmy (in 1959 for ‘An Evening with Belafonte’).
His successful music career skyrocketed with the release of the 1955 album Belafonte. Known as the ‘King of Calypso’, Belafonte brought Caribbean music to a global audience with his 1956 breakthrough album, Calypso, featuring the hits “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” “Jump in the Line” and “Jamaica Farewell.” Calypso became the first LP ever to sell one million copies; and to this day, Belafonte remains one of the best-selling recording artists in history.
Last year, Belafonte was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the ‘Early Influence’ category, becoming the oldest living person to join the organization.
Belafonte married his third wife, photographer Pamela Frank, in 2008, and is survived by children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, David Belafonte, and Gina Belafonte as well as two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank. He also has eight grandchildren: Rachel Blue Biesemeyer, Brian Biesemeyer, Maria Belafonte McCray, Sarafina Belafonte, Amadeus Belafonte, Mateo Frank, Olive Scanga, and Zoe Frank.
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