Belafonte, Harry (Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.)
1927-2023 · Contribution: 1956-1968
Singer, Actor & Activist
Popularized calypso music with the first album by any artist to sell over a million copies; one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s closest confidants, financially backing the civil rights movement and personally supporting King's family
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1927
- Active since
- 1956
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- First million-selling solo album ("Calypso")"King of Calypso"Civil-rights financier
Impact on the world
Belafonte turned pop stardom into a funding engine and moral force for the civil-rights movement. His crossover success also broke barriers for Black performers.
Sources
- NMAAHC
4 more sources and references are available to members.
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