Bill Text: NY J00861 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Harry Belafonte, Jamaican-American singer, songwriter, actor, and humanitarian

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 42-21)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-02 - ADOPTED [J00861 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00861-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 861

BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS

        MOURNING    the    death   of   Harry   Belafonte,
        Jamaican-American  singer,  songwriter,  actor,  and
        humanitarian

  WHEREAS,  It  is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay
just tribute to those musical geniuses  whose  commitment  and  creative
talents  contributed  to  the  entertainment  and cultural enrichment of
their community and the entire State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework served to  enhance  the
quality  of  life  in their communities and the great State of New York;
and

  WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to mourn the death of  Harry
Belafonte, who died on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the age of 96; and

  WHEREAS,  Born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, New York, on
March 1, 1927, Harry spent much of  his  childhood  traveling  back  and
forth  between  New  York  City  and  his  mother, Melvine's homeland of
Jamaica; and

  WHEREAS, Harry Belafonte proudly served his country as a  member  of
the  United  States  Navy  for a short time before he began his long and
distinguished career as a musician, first as a jazz and  pop  singer  in
the New York City club scene; and

  WHEREAS, In 1945, Harry Belafonte worked as a janitor's assistant at
Harlem's  American  Negro  Threatre where he saw his first show, Home is
the Hunter, written by Samuel M. Kootz, and would  eventually  be  given
his  first  performing  role  in On Striver's Row in 1946; his legacy in
Harlem will forever be cemented with the naming of the  Harry  Belafonte
115th Street Library in his honor; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1949,  Harry  Belafonte  received  his first recording
contract, and by 1950, he started performing folk music, and was well on
his way to stardom; and

  WHEREAS, After the  release  of  his  first  album  in  1954,  Harry
Belafonte  expanded  his  talents  to the silver screen, breaking racial
barriers  in  critically  acclaimed  hits  like  "Carmen  Jones",  which
co-starred  Dorothy Dandridge; and on the Great White Way where he won a
Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway musical Almanac; and

  WHEREAS, Two years later, Harry Belafonte invoked his many childhood
memories of his mother's native Jamaica into Calypso, which  topped  the
Billboard  charts and sold more than one million copies, earning him the
nickname "King of Calypso"; and

  WHEREAS, The album contained timeless hits such  as  "Day-O  (Banana
Boat Song)," a traditional Jamaican folk song that would go on to become
Harry  Belafonte's  signature  track;  in  2009,  his  version  of  this
well-known song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame; and


  WHEREAS,  Harry  Belafonte  won  an  Emmy  in  1960  for outstanding
performance in a variety or  musical  program  for  "The  Revlon  Revue:
Tonight  With  Belafonte",  making  him the first Black person to win an
Emmy; and

  WHEREAS, Harry Belafonte was also the recipient of a Kennedy  Center
Honor in 1989, the National Medal of Arts in 1994, and a Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2000; and

  WHEREAS,  In addition to his role as a much-loved entertainer, Harry
Belafonte was a staunch and stalwart supporter of civil  rights  issues,
and   other  causes,  such  as  the  Anti-Apartheid  Movement  where  he
befriended Nelson Mandela; he  also  organized  support  for  the  fight
against HIV/AIDS and became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; and

  WHEREAS,  Moreover,  Harry  Belafonte  came  up  with  the  idea for
recording the 1985 hit song, "We Are the World," which assembled a group
of pop and rock stars to raise money for famine relief in Africa; and

  WHEREAS, In 1968, Harry  Belafonte  once  again  broke  barriers  by
becoming  the  first  Black  person to host a late-night TV show when he
assumed hosting duties on "The Tonight Show" amid national civil  rights
protests,  welcoming  guests  like  Martin  Luther  King,  Jr. and Bobby
Kennedy; and

  WHEREAS, Harry Belafonte is survived  by  his  wife,  Pamela;  three
daughters,  Adrienne  Belafonte  Biesemeyer,  Shari  Belafonte, and Gina
Belafonte; one son, David Belafonte; two stepdaughters, Sarah Frank  and
Lindsey Frank; eight grandchildren, Rachel Blue, Brian, Maria, Sarafina,
Amadeus,  Mateo, Olive, and Zoe; as well as numerous friends, colleagues
and fans who will long cherish the many gifts he has given to the world;
and

  WHEREAS, Harry Belafonte was a man of many causes and interests  and
truly  captivated  his fans with his multi-dimensional talent; his music
helped break Caribbean music through  to  a  global  audience,  and  his
tireless efforts to make the world a better place to live, work and play
will never be forgotten; and

  WHEREAS, Through his genius and passion, Harry Belafonte touched the
hearts  of  people across the globe through his warm smile, immeasurable
talent, and for his  unremitting  commitment  to  those  who  were  less
fortunate; and

  WHEREAS,  As  the  news  of his death reaches the masses, many of us
will be singing the lyrics and dancing  in  our  chairs  to  the  smooth
Calypso beat of his most memorable songs; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is the custom of this Legislative Body to remember the
life and accomplishments of legendary musician, Harry  Belafonte,  whose
illustrious  career will forever live in the hearts of many and continue
to inspire generations to come; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Harry  Belafonte,  and  to  express  its  deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Harry Belafonte.