Singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte passed away this morning of heart failure at the age of 96.
The New York born Belafonte, who spent part of his childhood in Jamaica. After serving in the U.S. Navy in WWII, Belafonte became immersed in New York's theatre scene and befriended Sidney Poitier. While Poitier found success on the silver screen, Belafonte gravitated towards music and became among the first African-Americans to enjoy mainstream success during the 1950's and 1960's. Among Belafonte's hits were "Banana Boat (Day-O)", "Jamaica Farewell" and "Islands in the Sun".
Belafonte would become an influential figure in the Civil Rights Movement and was an early champion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In later years, Belafonte became associated with the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa, his efforts against world hunger through his organization of We Are The World and his work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
In later years, Belafonte courted some controversy for his support of Communist dictators such as Cuba's Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. He was also a vocal critic of President George W. Bush during the War in Iraq and was particularly harsh towards Secretary of State Colin Powell and then National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice. In 2005, Belafonte drew criticism when speaking of Powell and Rice erroneously claiming, "Hitler had a lot of Jews high up in the hierarchy of the Third Reich."
On balance, however, Belafonte did a great deal of good during his near century on this Earth. Most people who remember him today remember him with joy and I shall do the same. Here is a sample of that joy when he performed "Day-O" on The Muppet Show in 1978. R.I.P.
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