Singer and activist of the civil rights movement in the United States, Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96, announces his agent.
[Updated April 25, 2023 at 4:25 p.m.] Legendary singer, he was also one of the faces of the civil rights struggle in the United States: Harry Belafonte died on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The announcement was was made by his publicist Ken Sushine in a press release, relayed by the American press. He was 96 years old. According to the document, the artist died at his Upper West Side home in Manhattan from congestive heart failure.
Born March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York City, the son of West Indian immigrants, Harry Belafonte broke down racial barriers in 1950s America, becoming a key figure in civil rights activism in the United States. Close to Martin Luther King, he had also distinguished himself in charitable works in Africa, where he was also a fervent opponent of apartheid. Among his greatest hits, there are, among others, Banana Boat (Day-O) or Jump in the Line.
Close to politicians like J.F. Kennedy in the 1960s, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela, Harry Belafonte was engaged until the end of his life. In 2013, he received the Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International for his commitment as an activist in favor of human rights, then supported Bernie Sanders in the primaries of the American Democratic Party in 2016. In 2021, he was made Knight of the Legion of Honor by the French Embassy in the United States.
Singer, comedian and activist Harry Belafonte died on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. He was 96 years old. In the press release announcing his disappearance, his publicist claims that the artist died of congestive heart failure.
Singer Harry Belafonte has married three wives. He married the first, Marguerite Byrd (deceased in 1998), in June 1948. Together, they were two daughters, Adrienne and Shari, before divorcing in 1957. In second marriages, the artist married Julie Robinson, with whom he has two new children, David and Gina. The couple finally divorced in 2004. Four years later, Harry Belafonte married a third wife, photographer Pamela Frank.
