American singer, actor, and civil rights activist (1927-2023). Born in Harlem, New York. Often credited with popularizing Caribbean music in the US during the 1950s. Recipient of multiple lifetime achievement honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors (1989) and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (2014).
Released over 30 studio albums between Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites (1954) and Belafonte 89 (1988). Commercial peak: Calypso (1956), the first single-artist album in any genre to sell over a million copies in a year. Best-known songs include "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" and "Jump in the Line." An outspoken civil-rights activist and close associate of Martin Luther King Jr.; organized the 1985 "We Are the World" charity single for African famine relief.
