Harry Belafonte children: All about his wives and family as Calypso legend dies aged 96

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, the three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte passed away at 96. The father-of-four was at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan when he breathed his last.

The news of Belafonte's death was revealed by his spokesperson Paula Witt from the public relations firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis. Witt also revealed that the Calypso star and Civil Rights Movement activist died after suffering from congestive heart failure with his wife, Pamela Frank, by his side.

From being known as arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star of all time to serving as a close confidant to Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, Harry Belafonte was one of the most significant individuals in the last 50 years of US history.

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Harry Belafonte had four children across his three marriages

Harry Belafonte, born in New York's Harlem to West Indian immigrant parents in 1927, embraced his Caribbean roots as he began his music career with Trinbagonian Calypso in the 1950s. Before making it big with his 1956 studio album Calypso, Belafonte was already married to his first wife, Marguerite Byrd.

Byrd and Belafonte tied the knot in 1948 and had two daughters, Adrienne and Shari. However, the couple reportedly separated when Byrd was pregnant with Shari.

For the unversed, Belafonte's eldest daughter, Adrienne, became a professional counselor after having studied at West Virginia State University and has spent more than 25 years leading her own practice.

She is dedicated to helping others and created the Anir Foundation (founded in 1997) with her daughter Rachel to provide internships and career opportunities for communities in the Caribbean and South Africa. Interestingly, in 2019 Adrienne was also the keynote speaker during a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at West Virginia State University.

Harry Belafonte's second daughter, Shari, chose acting and modeling as her career path. Some of the productions she acted in include If You Could See What I Hear, Murder by Numbers, ABC's Hotel, General Hospital, Teacher of the Year, and more. Shari has been married twice and is currently wedded to her General Hospital co-star Sam Behrens.

Harry Belafonte's third child and only son, David, was born after the former's marriage to Julie Robinson. Julie and Harry got married in 1957 and had two children, David and Gina, with the latter being the youngest daughter among Belafonte's kids.

Belafonte's son David is also an actor who appeared in Across the Tracks and Timebomb. Besides being an actor, David has served as the VP and executive director at the family-held Belafonte Enterprises for two decades. Meanwhile, Gina Belafonte is also an actress and has acted in TV shows like Friends and The Angry Beavers.

Belafonte with his youngest daughter Gina (Image via Britta Pedersen/EPA/Shutterstock)

Julie and Harry parted ways in 2004, and the latter married his third wife, Pamela Frank, in 2008. Harry Belafonte did not have any children from his third marriage. The king of Calypso, who died on Friday, April 25, 2023, is survived by his third wife, four kids, and five grandchildren.