Harry Belafonte was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who brought calypso music to global popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. His album "Calypso" became the first LP by a solo artist to sell over a million copies. Belafonte was known for hits like "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Jump in the Line", and "Jamaica Farewell", and he also worked across blues, folk, gospel, and show tunes. Along with a successful music and film career, he was a key figure in the civil rights movement and a close ally of Martin Luther King Jr. Belafonte earned multiple awards, including Grammys, an Emmy, and a Tony, and was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts. He continued to advocate for social justice throughout his life and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category.