Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Belafonte, Harry
Parallel form(s) of name
- Harold George Belafonte
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1927-present
History
American singer, actor, producer, and activist who was a key figure in the folk music scene of the 1950s and was also involved in various social causes, notably the civil rights movement.
He served in the U.S. Navy in the mid-1940s and studied drama at Erwin Piscator’s Dramatic Workshop, where a singing role led to nightclub engagements and a recording contract as a pop singer.
He then became a folk singer, learning songs at the Library of Congress’s American folk song archives. He sang Caribbean folk songs as well, in nightclubs and theatres; his handsome appearance added to his appeal as a frequent performer on television variety programs. He initiated a fad for calypso music and became known as the King of Calypso and also made a Broadway debut; winning a Tony award for his performance. He also starred in films and a TV special, earning an Emmy. In the 1960s he became the first African American television producer.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
"Harry Belafonte." Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-Belafonte.