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His longtime spokesman Ken Sunshine confirmed the news to the New YorkTimeson April 25.
The cause was congestive heart failure.
After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he returned to New York.
While working as a janitors assistant, he was given tickets to a performance at the American Negro Theater.
It was there that the universe opened for me, he later recalled inan NPR interview.
He went on to study acting at the New Schools Dramatic Workshop alongside classmates like close friendSidney Poitier.
Belafonte made his film debut in 1953sBright Road.
His career in music was equally groundbreaking.
Belafonte, who began as a club singer, achieved breakthrough global success with his 1956 albumCalypso.
During the 60s, Belafonte released two Grammy Awardwinning albums,Swing Dat HammerandAn Evening with Belafonte/Makeba.
A close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr., Belafonte was also a staunch civil-rights activist.
He helped finance the 1961 Freedom Rides and worked with Sidney Poitier to organize the 1963 March on Washington.
In 1987, Belafonte was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
In 2014, he became an EGOT winner by receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Maybe, just maybe, it could be civilizations game changer.
