Harry Belafonte Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Education, Death – Harry Belafonte, an actor, and singer, died at 96 on April 25, 2023. His spokesman revealed that Belafonte died of congestive heart failure. People expressed their grief on social media after hearing of his death. Journalist Ed Gordon also posted a picture of Belafonte on Facebook, and he described the actor as iconic.
Who is Harry Belafonte?
An American-Jamaican singer, songwriter, actor, and activist, Harry Belafonte is known for his multiculturalism and activism. The Jamaican-American singer is one of the most successful pop stars ever. He popularized the Caribbean music style Calypso with an international audience during the 1950s, earning him the title “king of Calypso.” Martin Luther King Jr. considers him one of his closest confidants because he backed the Civil Rights Movement during that period.
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Harry Belafonte Early Life & Biography
He was born in Harlem, New York, on March 1, 1927. The original name of Harry Belafonte is Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. is the son of Melvine, who worked as a housekeeper, and Harold George Bellanfanti Sr. Harold George Bellanfanti Sr. was a chef as well. Mother was Jamaican, father was black, mother was white Scottish, and father was black Jamaican. According to him, his grandfather was a white Dutch Jew.
His academic career began at George Washington High School, and he served in the Navy during World War II. In the 1940s, he worked as a janitor’s assistant in New York City. When he saw the American Negro Theatre, he fell in love with theatre. He later met Sidney Poitier. In the late 1940s, he began taking Dramatic Workshops at The New School.
Harry Belafonte Career
He began his music career as a club singer in New York to pay for acting classes. His first performance in the audience was with the Charlie Parker band. His career began as a pop singer, but as he became more interested in folk music, he learned mainly from American folk song archives. Soon after, he debuted at the jazz club The Village Vanguard with his guitarist friend. When it was released as a single, Calypso became Belafonte’s “signature” song.
His first film role was in Bright Road (1953), with Dorothy Dandridge as his partner. He has starred in several movies over the years. The two later appeared in Otto Preminger’s hit musical Carmen Jones in 1954. Additionally, he appeared in the 1999 television drama Swing Vote as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He starred in Bobby in 2006. He appeared as an older man in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman in 2018.
As part of the multi-artist effort to raise funds for Africa, he helped organize the Grammy Award-winning song “We Are the World.”
Harry Belafonte’s Net Worth in 2023
It is estimated that Harry Belafonte will have a net worth of $30 million as of April 2023, which he earned from most of the songs and movies he has written and directed. Also, he does a lot of concerts, which results in a lot of loyalty earnings. It is because Harry manages his net worth wisely that he has been able to keep his money.
Harry Belafonte’s Personal Life
From 1948 to 1957, Belafonte married Marguerite Bred, and they had two daughters, Adrienne and Shari. While filming Island in the Sun, he had an affair with actress Joan Collins.
A few days later, on March 8, 1957, he married his second wife, Julie Robinson, who had previously danced with the Katherine Dunham Company. The couple had two children, David and Gina. Music producer David Belafonte is an Emmy winner and Grammy nominee. He also serves as the family company director of Belafonte Enterprises. They divorced after 47 years of marriage, and Belafonte married Pamela Frank in April 2008.
Did Harry Belafonte Have Children?
A father of four children and a doting grandfather, Belafonte lived a full life. While married to Marguerite Byrd, he welcomed his two eldest daughters, Adrienne and Shari. He married Julie Robinson in 1957 and welcomed Gina and David to the family after their 1957 divorce.
He divorced his second wife in 2004 and married Pamela Frank in 2008. Their marriage lasted until Belafonte’s death.
How did Harry Belafonte become famous?
As a child, Harry Belafonte was sent back to Jamaica by his mother from a family of Jamaican descent in Harlem. In his teens, he returned to the United States but found adjusting difficult. During World War II, he joined the Navy after dropping out of high school.
After returning home from military service, Belafonte was inspired to become an actor after seeing a performance at the American Negro Theater and enrolled in acting classes at the New School for Social Research in New York City alongside classmates such as Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, and Marlon Brando.
To make ends meet, he sang in nightclubs while trying to break into the acting business, signing a record deal with RCA in 1953. In Las Vegas, he would perform with the Rat Pack.
His 1954 Broadway production of John Murray Anderson’s Almanac won him a Tony Award for his contributions to Harlem’s creative community. The classic musical Carmen Jones with Dorothy Dandridge and Island in the Sun leveraged his stage and musical stardom into television and film.
Harry Belafonte Age, Height, and Weight
He was born on March 1, 1927, and is 96 years old today, April 26, 2023. It is estimated that he weighs 73 kg and stands 6′ tall.
Harry Belafonte Cause of Death
The news of Belafonte’s death dominated social media yesterday. It was Christiane Amanpour who paid tribute to the fallen activist-artist.
“Rest in Peace, Harry Belafonte. He inspired generations around the globe to fight for justice, equality, and change through non-violent resistance. His example is needed more than ever.”
The cause of Harry Belafonte’s death was congestive heart failure, sources claim.
FAQs
How many albums did Harry Belafonte make?
During his career, Belafonte released 30 studio albums and eight live albums. Belafonte and Calypso, two of his studio albums, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two live albums and three studio albums were each gold-certified.
Is Harry Belafonte still married?
A photographer by trade, he married Pamela Frank in 2004 and left two stepchildren, Sarah and Lindsey. His publicist said he was surrounded by his wife at the time of his death on Tuesday.
How many albums did Harry Belafonte sell?
Throughout his career, Belafonte sold over 3 million albums in the United States alone.
