Sad news this morning as we have just found out that EGOT winner, actor, singer and activist Harry Belafonte has passed away at the age of 96. Mr. Belafonte died from congestive heart failure. Of course, we all came to know him from the wonderful Caribbean music he would sing, including the Banana Boat song, but he was so much more than that. He was a Broadway star, winning the Tony Award for his performance in Almanac. He won the Emmy Award for his show, Tonight with Belafonte, picked up the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars and won several Grammys for his music. Mr. Belafonte was also a civil rights activist. He of course, was one of the main stars of USA for Africa, the group that performed We Are the World.
I was lucky enough to host a dinner back in the early 2000's in Saratoga where Mr. Belafonte was the keynote speaker. He was kind, gracious and funny. I was honored to be in his presence. He will be missed, but his legacy will live on. RIP Harry Belafonte.