Harry Belafonte is well known for his renditions of songs such as Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Jump in the Line, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Jamaica Goodbye, and many more.
Unfortunately, new reports indicate that the trailblazing performer died at the age of 96. According to The New York Times, Belafonte died on Tuesday morning, April 25, at his Upper West Side residence.

Belafonte died of congestive heart failure, according to his longtime spokesperson Ken Sunshine.
According to The New York Times, Belafonte, who was born and raised in the Bronx, became a household figure in the 1950s, when segregation was still a problem in the United States. His climb to stardom in show business and the music industry at the time was and continues to be remarkable.

His name will be inextricably linked to that of his renowned contemporaries, such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, who also faced racism and segregation on their journey to the top.
According to The New York Times, Belafonte’s Calypso CD is thought to be the first by a single artist to sell more than one million copies. By 1959, he was one of the most sought-after and well-paid Black entertainers.

He would later become one of the most recognizable faces on the silver screen. This contributed to his friendship with Sidney Poitier, who died barely a year ago.
In addition, Belafonte was a major influence in the civil rights struggle. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. counted Belafonte among his friends and fervent supporters.

According to the New York Times, Belafonte “helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was one of the primary fund-raisers for that organization and Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.”

During that time, he also used his money to bail out Dr. King and other activists.