Harry Belafonte, whose birth name was Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. and who was born in New York City to Jamaican immigrants, is a singer, composer, actor, producer, and civil rights activist.
After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Belafonte took acting classes and entered the entertainment industry, where he became a successful singer and actor. In 1956, his album “Calypso” became the first by a single artist to sell more than a million copies, and it remained at the top of the Billboard album chart for 31 weeks.
Because of this, he became a household name all over the world and, at the time, the highest-paid black artist in history, which was the 1950s.
Harry Belafonte Net Worth
At the time of his passing, American singer, actor, and social crusader Harry Belafonte was worth an estimated $30 million. On April 25, 2023, at the age of 96, Harry Belafonte passed away.
Famous for his renditions of calypso standards like “Day-O (Banana Boat Song)” and “Matilda,” Belafonte is often credited as the man who brought the genre to a wider audience.
His 1956 album “Calypso” (which contained “Day-O” and “Jamaica Farewell) was the first album by a single artist to sell over 1 million copies, and it stayed at the top of the Billboard album chart for 31 weeks.
How Did Harry Belafonte Become Famous?
Harry Belafonte’s mother sent him back to Jamaica after he was born in Harlem to a family of Jamaican origin. As a youngster, he moved back to the United States, but he struggled to fit in. He joined the Navy instead of finishing high school and went on to fight in World War II.
After returning from the war, Belafonte saw a performance at the American Negro Theater and was inspired to pursue acting. He enrolled in classes at New York City’s New School for Social Research, where his classmates included Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, and Marlon Brando.
Before landing an acting gig with RCA in 1953, he supported himself by performing in nightclubs. He eventually joined the Rat Pack and started performing in Sin City.
After establishing himself in the Harlem arts scene, Belafonte went on to win a Tony for the Broadway production of John Murray Anderson’s Almanac in 1954. He parlayed his success on Broadway and in musicals like Carmen Jones (in which Dorothy Dandridge co-starred) and Island in the Sun into roles on screen.
Is Harry Belafonte Married?
Belafonte had several marriages. In 1948, he wed Marguerite Byrd for the first time. Adrienne and Shari Belafonte were their kids before their parents divorced in 1957.
The couple later had two children, David and Gina, and Belafonte married dancer Julie Robinson. The couple separated in 2004 after 47 years of marriage. In 2008, Belafonte wed Pamela Frank, a photographer.
Belafonte and Maurice Neme collaborated in the 1960s to build a luxurious gated community on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean. Belnem is the name of the town where more than 700 people live.
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