Harry Belafonte, pioneering performer and activist, dies at 96

Harry Belafonte, the superstar entertainer who introduced a Caribbean flair to mainstream US music and became well known for his deep personal investment in civil rights, died Tuesday (April 25) in Manhattan, his publicist said. He was 96. – Photo: AFP

Harry Belafonte, the superstar entertainer who introduced a Caribbean flair to mainstream US music and became well known for his deep personal investment in civil rights, died Tuesday (April 25) in Manhattan, his publicist said. He was 96.

The barrier-breaking artiste-activist died of congestive heart failure at his New York home, according to the publicist's statement.