Singer, actor and civil rights campaigner Harry Belafonte died on Tuesday at the age of 96, the US media reported.
He died of congestive heart failure while in his New York home with his wife Pamela by his said, according to his public relations firm.
Belafonte was born in Harlem to a Jamaican mother and a father from the French territory of Martinique. He became a superstar entertainer who introduced a Caribbean flair to mainstream US music.
He gained fame for his hits such as ‘Banana Boat Song (Day-O)’, selling millions of records throughout his career.
But he also dedicated much of his time, and money, to pursuing civil rights. He was a close friend to Martin Luther King Jr and his family.
This article was originally published on DW.