Harry Belafonte, singer and trailblazing civil rights icon, dies at 96

Harry Belafonte, a singer, actor and activist who brought the calypso style of music to the forefront of pop culture, has died, his spokesman said. He was 96.

Belafonte died of heart failure on Tuesday at his home in New York City, with his wife, Pamela, by his side, his spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.

Born March 1, 1927, in New York City, Belafonte was a high school dropout who served in the Navy. He later enrolled in the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research, which featured a star-laden student body, including Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur, Rod Steiger and Tony Curtis.

He arrived as a musical force with his 1956 album, “Calypso,” which featured classic songs such as the instantly recognizable “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell.”

“Calypso” marked the beginning of a storied career and became the first gold record in history, selling more than one million copies.

A two-time Grammy Award winner, Belafonte also won a Tony Award for best actor in a featured role in a musical for “John Murray Anderson’s Almanac” in 1954.