RIP Harry Belafonte (1927-2023)

Sad news as frequent Henson guest and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte has died.

Belafonte was born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. on March 1, 1927, in Harlem. He known for his hit song "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” which he performed for the first time on TV on The Muppet Show.  

His album “Calypso,” which also included the hit song “Jamaica Farewell" reached the top of the Billboard album chart shortly after its release in 1956 and stayed there for 31 weeks.

Mr. Belafonte was successful as a concert act and by 1959 he was the most highly paid Black performer in history.

But his primary focus from the late 1950s on was civil rights. He befriended the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and put up much of the seed money to help start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was one of the principal fund-raisers for that organization and Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

He was award a Kennedy Center Honor in 1989, the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2000.

In 2014, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in recognition of his lifelong fight for civil rights and other causes.

In 1978, Belefonte met with Jim Henson about his episode of The Muppet Show. 

From Jim's red book 

"Things calmed down for the final number which Belafonte wrote (with Robert Friedman) especially for the show, “Turn the World Around.” The theme of becoming engaged and making a difference jibed well with Jim’s efforts to make the world a better place. The Henson workshop designed a new group of characters based on African masks specifically for this performance. With Belafonte’s insistence on authenticity, the staff did extensive research on African art to use as the basis for their designs. The singer was pleased and the performance has become a classic Muppet moment watched repeatedly by fans of both Jim’s characters and Belafonte."

 

In addition to his appearance on The Muppet Show he also song "Coconut Counting Man" with The Count on Sesame Street. 

   

He also wrote an introduction for the book "Jim Henson: The Works." appeared in PBS documentary "The World of Jim Henson," was one of many celebrities in a celebrity montage rendition of "The Alphabet Song" on Sesame Street, appeared in CNN documentary "People Profiles: Jim Henson," and contributed a "Corn Pudding" recipe for Miss Piggy's cookbook, "In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy."

   

Bellefonte performed "Turn the World Around" at Jim Henson's memorial service and also spoke in tribute of Jim for the special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. 

 

You can read more about Harry Belafonte here. 

On a personal note, Harry Belafonte's episode of The Muppet Show was always one of, if not my favorite episode. Harry had a hand in creating the script and his personality, humor, and heart shine through. 

 According to his spokesperson, Belafonte died of congestive heart failure. He was 96