Harry Belafonte | 03/01/1927 | 94

Harry Belafonte takes credit for popularizing the Caribbean music style. He is perhaps best known for singing The Banana Boat Song. Since beginning his career in the ’40s, Belafonte appreciates being the first recording artist to sell beyond a million copies of an album. However, he is most proud of his long-running work as a devoted activist.

Belafonte started performing as a singer to pay for his acting classes in New York. Even though he saw himself as an actor, his side hustle as a nightclub singer propelled his stardom when his 1954 Calypso album popularized his Jamaican heritage music and topped the charts. Since then, Belafonte embarked on a lucrative music career that made him a respected international folk music scene. He also left an imprint on the entertainment scene both as a producer and actor. Indeed, the actor is an inspiration to many talents in the entertainment scene today.