Harry Belafonte
A singer who brought Caribbean rhythms to the world stage and used his monumental fame as a forceful engine for civil rights activism.
1927–2023 (age 96)·American singer and actor·Birthday: March 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Harry Belafonte's journey from a poor childhood in Harlem and Jamaica to international stardom was a trailblazing act of cultural diplomacy. With 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),' he didn't just have a hit; he ignited a calypso craze, becoming the first artist to sell a million LP records. But Belafonte always saw his celebrity as a platform for something larger. He was a pivotal financial and strategic supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and an organizer of the 'We Are the World' fundraiser. His career in film broke barriers for Black actors, and his lifelong advocacy for humanitarian causes made him an artist whose work was inseparable from his conscience.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Harry was born in 1927, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1927
#1 Movie
Wings
Harry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1927Born
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1932Started school
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1940Became a teenager
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1943Could drive
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1945Could vote
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Turned 21
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1957Turned 30
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 40
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 50
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 60
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 70
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 80
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2023Died at 96
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- His 1956 album 'Calypso' became the first LP by a single artist to sell over one million copies.
- Won a Tony Award for his starring role in the Broadway revue 'John Murray Anderson's Almanac' (1954).
- Was a key organizer and fundraisers for the 1963 March on Washington and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
- Became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars in 2014.
Did You Know?
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He was the first Black person to win an Emmy, for his TV special 'Tonight with Belafonte' (1959).
He bankrolled the Freedom Rides and helped bail Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. out of the Birmingham jail.
He turned down the role of Kwai Chang Caine in 'Kung Fu,' which was written for him, due to network reluctance to cast a Black actor.
“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization's radical voice.”
