Singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96. His cause of death has been confirmed as congestive heart failure.
Harry had roles in a number of movies, won a Tony Award, sang the hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)," and fought for civil rights. He also fought against apartheid in South Africa and was a strong supporter of both Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez.
Harry was born in 1927 to a working class family in New York. He spent several years in Jamaica as a child before moving back to New York for high school.
He joined the military at the age of 17 and began working as a janitor's assistant following his enlistment. He soon began taking acting classes alongside Marlon Brando.
His first album was released in 1954 and was quickly followed by his second in 1956. His third album, Calypso, introduced Jamaican music and sounds to many Americans in 1957.
More from LittleThings: 7 Influential Leaders Of The 1960s American Civil Rights Movement To Teach Kids About
He worked with a number of singers and musicians, including Nana Mouskouri, Lena Horne, and Miriam Makeba. Bob Dylan's first recording was on Harry's 1962 album Midnight Special, and Harry performed at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration.
In 1963, Harry Belafonte bailed Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail in Birmingham, Alabama, and assisted in organizing the March on Washington, at which MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Harry later organized the We Are the World concert for famine relief and served as a UNICEF ambassador in 1987.
Harry is survived by his wife, Pamela Frank. There is more about his incredible life in the video below.
