Harry Belafonte acted. Harry Belafonte sang. But Belafonte was more than an entertainer. Two stories tell how important he was to the civil rights movement.
Belafonte died April 25 in New York City of congestive heart failure. He was 96.
The Song of the Day is paying tribute in December to the singers, songwriters and musicians who died in 2023.
Belafonte grew up in poverty, first in Jamaica and then Harlem. He decided he wanted to become an actor after watching plays at the American Negro Theatre.
He spent the 1950s building his singing and acting careers. He spent time in the 1960s singing, acting and fighting for civil rights.
In the 1960s, when Johnny Carson, host of the “Tonight Show,” would go on vacation he would have a guest host. Belafonte took that role during a week in February 1968.
He was the first African American to host a late-night show. His guest list was varied. It included politicians, civil rights leaders, actors, singers and comedians. Many were black. Many of the discussions were about the issues of the day.
The week was a ratings success. You can watch a documentary about the week on Peacock. It’s called “The Sit-in.”
The second story took place in 1968 when singer Petula Clark touched Belafonte’s arm while they were singing on her television special. Such a simple gesture created a firestorm.
First, Doyle Lott, the advertising manager for the Plymouth Division of Chrysler, sponsor of the show, didn’t want a black man as guest. Then, came the touch. Lott stormed out of the taping, demanding the song be reshot. NBC backed the director, and it ran with the touch.
Our Song of the Day came off Belafonte’s album “Calypso” in 1956. The album popularized calypso. “Day-O,” a Jamaican folk song, became his signature song. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. Audio production is by Simon Dunham, WGCU. To receive the Song of the Day in your inbox every day, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
