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Harry Belafonte Facts & Worksheets

Harry Belafonte was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist known as the “King of Calypso” for bringing calypso music to the international fore during the 1950s.

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Harry Belafonte was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist known as the “King of Calypso” for bringing calypso music to the international fore during the 1950s. A prominent figure in the folk music scene, he was one of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) recipients. His 1956 studio album “Calypso” became the first-ever million-selling LP by a solo artist. He was also a vocal activist of the Civil Rights Movement and had a close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. 

See the fact file below for more information on Harry Belafonte, or you can download our 27-page Harry Belafonte worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

  • Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. was born on March 1, 1927, in the Harlem district of New York City to Caribbean-born immigrants.
  • His father, Harold George Bellanfanti Sr., was a chef, while his mother, Melvine Bellanfanti (née Love), was a housewife.
  • In 1935, when he was eight, Harry returned with his mother to her native country of Jamaica and stayed there for the next five years. 
  • At 17 years old, Harry dropped out of high school upon returning to New York, later learning he was dyslexic.

EARLY CAREER

  • Belafonte subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II.
  • After his discharge, he worked as a janitor’s assistant in New York.
  • It was at that time when Belafonte first attended a production at the American Negro Theater (AMT).
  • From there, he decided to pursue a career as an actor.
  • The young Navy veteran became friends with Sidney Poitier at the AMT.
  • At the end of the 1940s, Harry studied drama at Erwin Piscator’s prominent Dramatic Workshop alongside Poitier.
  • Their other classmates were would-be famous actors Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, and Bea Arthur.
  • Belafonte’s singing role in an AMT production led to a series of cabaret engagements.
  • In 1949 he secured a recording deal as a pop singer under the Roost label.
  • However, by the early 1950s, he left pop to pursue his greater interest in folk music and performed in New York City clubs, such as the Village Vanguard. In 1953 he landed a recording deal with RCA Victor and recorded for the label until 1974.

ACTING CAREER

  • He made his film debut in the 1953 production “Bright Road,” in which he co-starred alongside Dorothy Dandridge; they also co-starred in the 1954 hit musical “Carmen Jones.”
  • In 1954 Belafonte won a Tony award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his debut Broadway performance in John Murray Anderson’s “Almanac.”
  • In 1955 he also appeared in another acclaimed musical revue entitled “3 for Tonight.”
  • As Belafonte rose to fame as an actor, he took on more controversial film roles, such as a black politician whose romantic interest is an elite white woman in “Island in the Sun” (1957), a nightclub entertainer teaming up with a racist ex-con for a bank robbery job in “Odds Against Tomorrow” (1959), and a black miner trapped with a woman and a bigot post-nuclear war in “The World, the Flesh and the Devil” (1959).
  • In 1957 he appeared on the Nat King Cole show.
  • In 1959 he starred in the TV special “Tonight with Belafonte,” a revue of African American music, for which he won an Emmy Award.
  • He was the first African-American artist to win the prestigious award.
  • He was also the first Black television producer.
  • In the early 1970s, he collaborated with Sidney Poitier in films “Buck and the Preacher” (1972)  and “Uptown Saturday Night” (1974).
  • Belafonte also produced and starred in the 1970 drama film “The Angel Levine,” wherein he played a mysterious man claiming to be a Jewish angel.
  • As for television work, he appeared in the 1974 children’s special “Free To Be… You and Me” and sang his popular songs on “The Muppet Show” in 1978.
  • He continued to add to his film credits with the 1984 musical “Beat Street,” the 1995 John Travolta-starring “White Man’s Burden,” the 1996 jazz age drama “Kansas City, and the 2006 drama “Bobby.”
  • Belafonte’s last film was the 2018 Spike Lee production and Academy Award-winning film “BlacKkKlansman.”

MUSICAL CAREER

  • Belafonte achieved breakthrough success with his third studio album, “Calypso” (1956), which became the first LP in the world to sell more than one million copies in a year.
  • The album popularized and introduced calypso music to American listeners.
  • His hit songs “Day-O (Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell” are included in the album.
  • He was later dubbed the “King of Calypso.”
  • From then on, he continued to garner critical acclaim and commercial success.
  • He won a Grammy award for Best Folk Performance for the studio album “Swing Dat Hammer” (1960).
  • He also won a Grammy award for Best Folk Recording for “An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba” (1965), introducing South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri to American audiences.
  • Belafonte was mainly known for calypso music, but that did not box him genre-wise, he also recorded blues, folk, and gospel music as well as show tunes.
  • His 1961 album “Jump Up Calypso” went on to sell over a million copies.
  • Belafonte’s 1962 album “The Midnight Special” featured the first officially-released recording of Bob Dylan.
  • His commercial success began to diminish by the time The Beatles and British pop artists dominated the U.S. pop charts.
  • His 1964 album “Belafonte at the Greek Theatre” was his last work to be included in Billboard’s Top 40.
  • He released his fifth and final calypso album, “Calypso Carnival” in 1971.
  • By the mid-1970s, Belafonte became less prolific as a recording artist.
  • He broke his lengthy hiatus with the 1997 Island Records-produced album “An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends.”
  • In 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
  • In 2022 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

ACTIVISM

  • Harry Belafonte was a vocal and passionate supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and became a trusted confidant of the movement’s key leader Martin Luther King Jr.
  • In the 1950s, he actively mobilized artists to defeat apartheid.
  • He helped organize the Civil Rights March in Washington D.C. in 1963.
  • Belafonte made frequent visits to South Africa after it became a multiracial democracy in 1994.
  • He also supported other humanitarian causes.
  • He went on to produce the Grammy-winning charity single “We Are the World” (1985), which sold over 20 million copies and raised consciousness and over $60 million worth of funds for African famine relief.
  • In 1987, he became a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

PERSONAL LIFE AND DEATH

  • Harry Belafonte was married three times: to Marguerite Byrd (wed 1948; divorced 1957), with whom he had two daughters, Adrienne and Shari, and Julie Robinson (wed 1957, divorced 2004), with whom he had two children, David and Gina, and Pamela Frank (wed 2008).
  • At the age of 96, Belafonte passed away in his Manhattan home on April 25, 2023.
  • He reportedly died of congestive heart failure.

Harry Belafonte Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Harry Belafonte across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Harry Belafonte. A prominent figure in the folk music scene, he was one of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) recipients. His 1956 studio album “Calypso” became the first-ever million-selling LP by a solo artist. He was also a vocal activist of the Civil Rights Movement and had a close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. 

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Harry Belafonte Facts
  2. Belafonte Bio
  3. Career Timeline
  4. Decade Drawings
  5. Harry-ography
  6. About Calypso Music
  7. Lyric Match
  8. Activism Narrative
  9. Through His Words
  10. ‘50s Artists
  11. Belafonte-Inspired Music

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Harry Belafonte?

Harry Belafonte is a renowned American singer, actor, and social activist. He was born on March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York City. Belafonte achieved fame in the 1950s and 1960s for his distinct singing style and popularizing calypso music, earning him the nickname “King of Calypso.” Apart from his successful music career, he has been a prominent civil rights activist, using his influence to advocate for social justice and equality.

What are Harry Belafonte’s major achievements in music?

Harry Belafonte’s most significant achievement was popularizing Caribbean music, particularly calypso, in the United States during the 1950s. His 1956 album “Calypso” became the first million-selling LP by a single artist in the history of the music industry. The album included his iconic rendition of the song “Banana Boat Song (Day-O),” which remains one of his signature tunes. Belafonte’s music not only introduced American audiences to a new musical genre but also broke racial barriers during a time of segregation.

How did Harry Belafonte contribute to the civil rights movement?

Throughout his life, Harry Belafonte has been a vocal supporter of the civil rights movement in the United States. He used his fame and platform to raise awareness about racial inequality and injustice. Belafonte worked closely with prominent civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and participated in various protests and demonstrations. He also helped fundraise for civil rights organizations and used his connections in the entertainment industry to promote integration and equal rights for African Americans.

What other social causes has Harry Belafonte been involved in?

Apart from his civil rights activism, Harry Belafonte has been involved in numerous social and humanitarian causes. He was an advocate for global issues such as ending apartheid in South Africa and supporting UNICEF’s efforts to combat child hunger and disease. Belafonte has also been an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy and has been involved in anti-war movements.

What acting roles is Harry Belafonte known for?

Harry Belafonte had a successful acting career alongside his music career. He starred in several films, with notable roles in movies like “Carmen Jones” (1954), “Odds Against Tomorrow” (1959), and “The World, the Flesh, and the Devil” (1959). His performances on both the big screen and stage showcased his talent as a versatile actor and contributed to his enduring legacy in the entertainment industry.

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