Harry Belafonte

Sitter in 36 portraits
Born Harold Bellanfanti, Jr. in Harlem to Jamaican-born parents, Belafonte's childhood was spent living in both Jamaica and New York. He later helped to introduce Jamaican folk music to American audiences by popularising Caribbean calypso music. His 1956 album Calypso became the first million-selling album by a single artist. Belafonte was also well known for other musical genres including blues, folk and gospel, and released dozens of albums over his long career. He became one of the most successful African-American singers in history, earning three Grammy Awards including a lifetime achievement award. He also found fame as an actor, having attended drama school and trained at the studio theatre of Harlem's pioneering American Negro Theatre. He starred in several films including the musical Carmen Jones (1954) and the thriller Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). A dedicated supporter of the US civil rights movement, he was a longtime friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., with whom he organised the 1963 March on Washington. He advocated for numerous political and humanitarian causes, including the anti-apartheid and gun control movements. From 1987 until his death he was a goodwill ambassador for Unicef.