Harry Belafonte has been called "the consummate entertainer" - a formidably talented singer, actor, and producer, who has made his mark on the concert stage, the recording industry, in films and on Broadway, and on the television screen, in an extraordinary career which has spanned five decades.
He is also a "consummate humanitarian," whose activities on behalf of human rights have been felt around this country and around the world. A deep and long-time friend of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., he was the driving force that united the cultural elements behind the needs of the civil rights movement, including the 1963 Freedom March in Washington, D.C. A strong advocate for the countries of Africa, particularly its children, he set the wheels in motion that led to the creation of USA for Africa and the "We are the World" concert to benefit African famine relief in 1985, as well as the subsequent "Hands Across America" to relieve hunger in America. In 1987, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF - only the second American, after Danny Kaye, to hold this position - and in 1990, along with his fellow UNICEF Ambassadors, served as host for the World Summit for Children, held at the United Nations. His close personal relationship with Nelson Mandela led to his hosting the South African leader throughout Mandela's triumphant visit to the U.S.
He was honored in 1981 with the Dag Hammarskjold Peace Medal and in 1989 with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize. Also in 1989, he received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for excellence in the performing arts. He was the first recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award, and was honored with the 1994 National Medal of Arts from President William J. Clinton for his contributions to our nation's cultural life.
Born on March 1, 1927 in Harlem in New York City, his mother, a native of Jamaica, sent him to live in her native land for five years, during his early adolescence, where his exposure to life on the island in all of its variety became a cultural reservoir which he drew upon for his later artistic expression. His mother brought him back to Harlem at the outbreak of World War II, where he found adaptation to this new environment difficult. Unable to finish high school, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy. Following his honorable discharge from the service, he returned to New York, where he worked both in the garment center and as a janitor's assistant.
Fortuitously, he found the American Negro Theater and studied both there at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research. At the same time, he became immersed in the world of the jazz musician, spending his nights at the Royal Roost, where he was soon offered the opportunity to perform as the intermission singer at the famed jazz club. His volunteer back-up band on his opening night included some friends of his - Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Tommy Potter, and Al Hage on the piano.
The recognition of his gifts was instantaneous, but his new-found popularity was pulling him away from the world of theater he had come to live. Planning to devote himself full-time to the theater, he disappointingly soon found that this country was not yet willing to embrace its black citizens in his chosen profession. With not enough parts to go around for those many talented actors, including his close friend Sidney Poitier, in frustration, Belafonte opened a small restaurant in Greenwich Village as a means of livelihood. But once again, music beckoned as he discovered The Village Vanguard and the world of folk music, and performers such as Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Josh White, and Pete Seeger.
This art form would become his ultimate expression, and following diligent study, writing and molding folk songs, he soon opened at The Village Vanguard - and never looked back. A succession of nightclub appearances at The Blue Angel, the Copacabana, and Cafe Society led to Broadway and his first musical, "John Murray Anderson's Almanac," where, astoundingly, in 1953 in his first Broadway role, he won the coveted Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
At this time, he entered into a recording contract with RCA Victor and, in 1955, his third album, "Calypso," became the first pop album to sell over one-million copies, setting industry standards. It was followed by "Jamaica Farewell" in 1956, and "Banana Boat" in 1957. He received Grammy Awards for his recording work in 1960, 1961, and 1965.
Hollywood beckoned at this time, and in his first film he was teamed again with Dorothy Dandridge, first in "Bright Road" and then in Otto Preminger's "Carmen Jones" as "Joe." The overwhelming success of this film placed Belafonte alongside Sidney Poitier as the most sought-after African-American actors in the history of the film industry. Belafonte's film roles have also included "The World," "The Flesh and the Devil," "Odds Against Tomorrow," "The Angel Levine," "Buck and the Preacher" (co-starring Poitier), "Uptown Saturday Night," and "Island in the Sun" (for which he co-wrote the title song). His most recent screen appearances have been in 1996's "White Man's Burden" with John Travolta; followed by Robert Altman's "Kansas City" for which he received the New York Film Critics' Circle best supporting actor award.
Belafonte's world-wide concert tours have repeatedly sold out since the first one in 1956. He has broken attendance records in most major cities where he has performed and has established a global relationship with audiences lasting over 40 years.
With only one medium left to conquer - television - Belafonte formed a new production company, Harbel, and teamed up with a young and then little known director from Canada, Norman Jewison. In 1959, they produced a stunning musical epic called "Tonight with Belafonte," which received astounding critical reviews and earned Belafonte an Emmy Award for his performance. Being the first African-American producer in television, his company went on to produce one Emmy-nominated success after another for the three major networks, including "The Strollin' Twenties" for CBS, which was written by famed author Langston Hughes and starred Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Duke Ellington; and "A Time for Laughter" for ABC, starring Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley, and Pigmeat Markham.
At the same time that he was achieving unparalleled success in the entertainment world, Belafonte has also dedicated himself to uniting people and doing battle for causes often considered controversial. In 1960, President John F. Kennedy named him cultural advisor to the Peace Corps, the first member of the entertainment industry to be so named. Serving in that capacity for five years, he traveled to many of the world's developing countries, leading to his long and passionate bond to the continent of Africa.
It was the civil rights struggle in the United States, however, that commanded his greatest involvement, with his fervent pursuit for justice leading him to a long and deep commitment to the movement. He was the driving force that united the cultural elements behind the needs of the Civil Rights movement, with the success of his efforts being seen in the overwhelming presence of the arts community in places like the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, the protests in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Freedom March in Washington, D.C.
In the early 1950's, Belafonte met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his historic visit to New York and, from that day until King's assassination, they developed a deep and abiding friendship. Fearing that American resistance to the goals of the civil rights movement would become economically stressful, Dr. King agreed with Belafonte's assessment that the movement should reach out to countries outside of the U.S.
In the early 1960's, Belafonte united the cultural forces of Europe and, with the assistance of Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Peter O'Toole, and others, he performed major concerts in Paris. Then, with the King of Sweden as patron, the Swedish Prime Minister as chairperson, and a cast drawn from pop music and classical culture, Belafonte produced and performed in a telecast broadcast throughout Scandinavia, providing an opportunity for supporters in those countries to give vitally needed funds and, more importantly, giving European audiences the ability to see and hear Dr. King speak for the first time. Dr. King paid tribute to Belafonte, saying that his "global popularity and his commitment to our cause is a key ingredient to the global struggle for freedom and a powerful tactical weapon in the civil rights movement here in America."
Named to the Board of Directors of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Belafonte become one of three executors of the great civil rights leader's estate after his assassination. Later, New York's Governor Mario Cuomo appointed him chairperson for the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, in which position he served for seven years and during which time he and his staff created the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence.
In the mid-1980's, disturbed by cruel events unfolding in Africa because of war, drought, and famine, and influenced by the achievements of the "LiveAid" concerts, Belafonte set in motion the wheels that led to "We Are the World." Through his efforts, the project known as USA for Africa also came into being. An outgrowth of this then became "Hands Across America," a benefit for hungry Americans, a cause with which he was also deeply involved.
During his UNICEF tenure, he created an historic symposium in Dakar, Senegal for the immunization of African children, which then led to a successful campaign for the eradication of curable diseases among those children, as well as a subsequent symposium, "Children of the Front Line," which took place in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1988, focusing global attention on child survival and development in Southern African countries, especially those victimized by apartheid. As part of this effort, with the largest concentration of African artists ever assembled, he performed in a concert to benefit UNICEF, that also resulted on a one-hour video presentation - "Paradise in Gazankulu."
In 1989, the U. S. Committee for UNICEF presented him with the Danny Kaye Award for his important contributions in the service of the children of the world. The following year, along with his fellow Goodwill Ambassadors from around the world, he served as host for the World Summit for Children at the United Nations. Attended by 71 heads of state, it resulted in "The World Declaration of the Survival, Protection, and Development of Children," considered to be one of the most significant documents of the 20th century.
Continuing to devote himself globally to civil and human rights issue, focusing in particular on the United States and South Africa, as well as most recently focusing on advocacy for the children of Rwanda. Through the Belafonte Foundation, he has aided many African students seeking an education in the United States. He is currently producing a mini-series for ABC-TV and Turner Entertainment dramatizing the apartheid history of South Africa. His current concert tours include musicians and singers from diverse backgrounds and music with a heavy emphasis on African rhythms and Third World themes. Other current projects include co-producing Taylor Branch's Pulitzer Prize-winning work, "Parting the Waters"; directing "Port Chicago Mutiny" for Turner Network Television; and serving as executive producer for the HBO Showcase film "The Affair." A television special - "An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends" has been broadcast throughout the U.S. on PBS-TV, and is also available on video cassette and CD.
He lives in New York with his wife, Julie, a former dancer with the Katherine Dunham Company, who has long supported him both in his artistic career and in his humanitarian efforts. They have two children - Gina, an actress working in television and film; and David, Executive Director of Belafonte Enterprises, Inc., the family-held company. He also has two children from a previous marriage - Shari, also an actress in television and film; and Adrienne Biesemeyer, a child and family therapist in private practice in West Virginia. Through Ms. Biesemeyer, he has two grandchildren, Rachel and Brian, and a third grandchild, Maria, the daughter of Gina.