Harry Belafonte, Mary's Boy Child singer, actor and civil rights activist, dies aged 96

The Tribeca Festival today announced its Storytellers Series, which includes Paul McCartney in conversation with Conan O’Brien for a podcast recording of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp in conversation with David Letterman.

Dannii Erskine who rose to fame for her stint on Australian reality show Bride and Prejudice fame has died aged 28.

Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s legendary folk singer-songwriter known for “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” and for songs that told tales of Canadian identity, died on Monday. He was 84.Representative Victoria Lord said the musician died at a Toronto hospital.

Gordon Lightfoot passed away this evening in a Toronto hospital at 7:30 p.m. More info to come..Posted by Gordon Lightfoot on Monday, May 1, 2023Lightfoot’s death comes less than a month after he announced the cancellation of his 2023 United States and Canada tour.

MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo has passed away, aged 46. A statement was announced via his Instagram reading: "With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday." "So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we're too overwhelmed to put them into words. For those who crossed his path, became his mater, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next Whisky." "We implore you to please let us grieve privately as we find a way to navigate through this, and find space on the other side to celebrate our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend. The Scottish-born chef started working in kitchens as a dishwasher part-time at the age of 13 and left school at 15 to begin an apprenticeship. He worked for Marco Pierre White before travelling to Australia to work at Restaurant 41 in Sydney. In October 2019, Jock was announced as one of the new judges of MasterChef Australia, alongside Melissa Leong and Andy Allen. Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia released a joint statement via Instagram, announcing that MasterChef, which was set to premiere tonight, will not air this week. "We are deeply shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of Jock Zonfrillo, a beloved member of the MasterChef Australia family.

When the late Sidney Poitier embarked on a movie career in the early 1950s, he entered an industry with a history of depicting Black people in the most negative fashion. The Birth of a Nation, the seminal 1915 silent film, had set the template – portraying African American characters as sex-crazed and subhuman. 

John Legend shared that Harry Belafonte had a profound impact on his life both professionally and personally.

Thania Garcia Hollywood is mourning Harry Belafonte, the Calypso singer, award-winning performer and activist, who died on April 25 of congestive heart failure at age 96. The Caribbean-American entertainer is lauded as one of the most versatile recording artists of the 1950s and was one of the first Black leading men in cinema. He also had a fierce commitment to activism throughout the 60s and participated in numerous protests and marches including the Freedom March on Washington in 1963 (alongside his friend and actor Sidney Poitier) where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Tastemakers like Berry Gordy, Tony Bennett, Oprah Winfrey and more paid their respects and celebrated Belafonte’s work, calling him a “trailblazer” and “great entertainer.”

Only Fools and Horses Twitter account also paid tribute to Kate, who is believed to have died from cancer. “We are sorry to learn of the passing of Kate Saunders, who played police-woman Sandra in the episode The Long Legs of the Law in 1982,” the page wrote. "In addition to her acting career, Kate was an award-winning novelist, journalist and critic.

Harry Belafonte – the calypso singer best known for his signature song ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’, as well as his civil rights activism – has died at the age of 96.The veteran performer and civil rights activist passed away in his Manhattan home from congestive heart failure, as confirmed by spokesman Ken Sunshine to The New York Times.Belafonte began his career in the late-1940s, where it’s believed that his first-ever live performance was backed by jazz legends Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. His debut album, ‘Mark Twain and Other Folk Favourites’, was released via RCA in 1954.It was the release of his third studio album ‘Calypso’, however, that served as his breakthrough. Featuring ‘Day-O’ as its opening track, the album became his first to surpass one million sales.Belafonte was prolific through to the early ’70s, releasing two albums a year on average.

John Travolta penned a heartfelt tribute to his late White Man's Burden costar Harry Belafonte, who passed away from congestive heart failure, at 96, on Tuesday. Hours after the civil rights icon's spokesman confirmed he died at his home in the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife Pamela by his side, the Grease star, 69, paid homage to the Caribbean-American pop star on his Instagram Story. 'I had the great pleasure of working with Harry Belafonte in 1995,' the father-of-three captioned a black and white image of them together.

Rita Moreno Harry Belafonte, who passed away today at the age of 96, was not only a Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning singer and actor, he was a vitally important activist who brought many top Hollywood actors to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legendary march on Washington in 1963. Below, his longtime friend, EGOT-winning actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno, remembers that day, and more. Harry Belafonte was the reason that a planeload of movie stars showed up for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington in August 1963. The trip came about at his behest. Harry wanted very much for Dr. King to understand that there were people in Hollywood who really cared, people who were emotionally involved in politics and cared for the welfare of people of any color.

Spike Lee urged people to "celebrate our elders" as he paid tribute to Harry Belafonte. The legendary musician, actor, and activist died on Tuesday (25. 04.

Harry Belafonte, the prolific and hugely popular artist who brought Carribbean music into the American mainstream, has died. He passed away this morning (Tuesday, April 25) in his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, according to his longtime spokesman, Ken Sunshine, who also confirmed his cause of death as congestive heart failure.

A.D. Amorosi In a rich musical career initially defined by the lilting sounds of calypso, over the course of seven decades, Harry Belafonte — the actor, activist, producer and vocalist who died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at the age of 96 — was so much more. The brassy showtunes of Broadway, the finesse of folk and blues, and the simmering songs of jazz, R&B and Tin Pan Alley’s standards were this lyric baritone’s playgrounds.Yet there was so much more to Belafonte’s music than his signature hits like “Banana Boat Song (Day-O),” “Come Back Liza,” “Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” and his 1956 blockbuster album, “Calypso.” Here are a handful of Belafonte’s other career bests.“Man Piaba” (1954)While his debut album with RCA, “Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites,” was filled with live versions of traditional folk songs, it was an original co-written with Jack K. Rollins – the film and television producer, who first talent managed Belafonte to great success – where the singer made his mark. Triple timing his lyrics faster than Jay-Z and writing intergalactic lyrics tying him to Albert Einstein, relativity and the Hayden planetarium made Belafonte a smart, funny force to be reckoned with.

Martin Luther King Jr. (including speaking at the 1963 March on Washington) and other pivotal faces of the civil rights movement, standing up for migrant farmworkers, working in support of LGBTQ, or becoming a voice in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, Belafonte forged a strong commitment to activism. In fact, in 1968, Belafonte became the first Black person to helm a late-night talk show when he hosted for a week.

Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96. Belafonte died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home, his wife Pamela by his side, said Paula M. Witt, of public relations firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis.

Harry Belafonte died on Tuesday, April 25. He was 96.

Harry Belafonte has sadly passed away.

Folk singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96, his spokesman has confirmed.