Singer, actor and activist for human rights in the world, Harry Belafonte died Tuesday April 25, 2023 in New York, arousing a wave of tributes.
[Mis à jour le 26 avril 2023 à 09h46] He was and will remain one of the faces of human rights activism in the United States and around the world: Harry Belafonte, legendary singer and comedian, died Tuesday, April 25, 2023. He was 96 years old and died. died of congestive heart failure at his Upper West Side home in Manhattan, his publicist announced in a press release.
After the announcement of his disappearance, inevitably, there is a torrent of tributes on social networks. President Joe Biden salutes a “revolutionary American who used his talent, his notoriety and his voice to redeem the soul of our Nation”. Born in 1927 “when segregation was the norm of American society”, Harry Belafonte “devoted his entire life to breaking down barriers and bridging divisions”, adds the Democratic leader, who has just announced his candidacy for re-election. in 2024.
“Harry Belafonte was a legend who broke down barriers and used his platform to uplift others,” wrote Barack Obama, referring to “his signature smile and style.” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres writes that “in addition to touching millions of people with his inimitable charm and charisma in music, film and theater, Mr. Belafonte had dedicated his life to fighting for human rights and against injustice in all its forms”. Artists like John Legend have also paid tribute to the memory of Harry Belafonte, hailing his “subversive” and “revolutionary” songs.
Harry Belafonte was a barrier-breaking legend who used his platform to lift others up. He lived a good life transforming the arts while also standing up for civil rights. And he did it all with his signature smile and style. Michelle and I send our love to his wife, kids, and pic.twitter.com/g77XCr9U5b
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 25, 2023
What had become of Harry Belafonte, the “King of Calypso”?
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. . Near Martin Luther King, he had also distinguished himself in charitable works in Africa, where he was also an ardent opponent of apartheid. We owe him titles like Banana Boat (Day-O), Island in the Sun, Jamaica Farewell, Jump in the Line or Coconut Woman. But the African-American artist was also known to be a fervent civil rights activist in the United States and around the world.
Close to politicians like JF Kennedy in the 1960s, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela, Harry Belafonte will have been engaged until the end of his life. In 2013, he received the Ambassador of Conscience award from Amnesty International for his commitment to human rights, then supported Bernie Sanders in the US Democratic Party primaries in 2016. 2021, he had been made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French Embassy in the United States.
What did Harry Belafonte die of?
Singer, actor 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.
Who were Harry Belafonte’s wives?
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 marriage, 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.