Harry Belafonte, the renowned singer, actor, and social rights activist has died aged 96.

Who was Harry Belafonte?

Harry Belafonte is not only known for winning Tony Award for acting and starring in a number of feature films. He spent his life fighting for a variety of causes. He also contributed to a number of causes such as bringing civil rights to Black Americans in the 1960s, campaigning against poverty, apartheid, and Aids in Africa, as well as supporting liberal political figures such as Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.

Harry Belafonte cause of death

The cause of death was congestive heart failure, his spokesman told the New York Times.

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Harry Belafonte net worth

At the time of his death, Belafonte had a net worth of $30 million.

Harry Belafonte age

Belafonte was born in 1927. At the time of his death, he was 96 years old.

Harry Belafonte relationship

Belafonte was married thrice in his life. From 1948 to 1957, he was married to Marguerite Byrd. They have two daughters: Adrienne and Shari Belafonte. When Byrd was pregnant with Shari, the couple split.

After that, he briefly dated actress Joan Collins during the filming of Island in the Sun.

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On March 8, 1957, Belafonte married his second wife Julie Robinson, who was a former dancer. She was Jewish. They had two children, David and Gina. Belafonte and Robinson divorced after 47 years of being married together. After that, Belafonte married photographer Pamela Frank in April 2008. 

Belafonte had five grandchildren, Rachel and Brian through his children with Marguerite Byrd, and Maria, Sarafina, and Amadeus through his children with Julie Robinson.

Harry Belafonte career

Harry Belafonte is best known for making calypso music popular all over the world with his hit recordings of Day-O (Banana Boat Song) and Matilda, and others. He has also acted in movies such as Carmen Jones and Odds Against Tomorrow. One of his most memorable appearances was in Spike Lee’s 2018 film BlacKkKlansman.