Tim McGraw shared a rare personal message on Wednesday after learning of the death of legendary singer, Harry Belafonte.
The country music star took to Instagram to pay his respects to the genre-defining musician and civil rights activist – who passed away aged 96 on Tuesday – sharing a smiling photo of Belafonte alongside a simple but poignant message.
"Icon!!! Rest in peace #HarryBelafonte," Tim captioned the post, which sparked an emotional response from his followers. "Love this man! Inspiration to all of us. Rest in peace Mr. Belafonte!" replied one. A second said: "Such an iconic man. So talented & impactful." A third added: "What a beautiful, elegant & classy man. May he rest in peace."
The late singer, who paved the way for artists of color through his work in the civil rights movement, died of congestive heart failure at his Upper West Side home in Manhattan, according to his spokesman and longtime representative Ken Sunshine.
Belafonte was one of the leading musicians of the 1950s, creating a space for Caribbean Americans, Black artists, and musicians of color in a largely homogenous industry. Songs such as 'Jamaican Farewell', 'Jump in the Line', and particularly 'The Banana Boat Song', have become staples of the Trinbagonian Calypso style he popularized, with the latter surging in popularity thanks to its use in the 1988 film Beetlejuice.
Belafonte was also a noted actor, thanks to performances in movies such as Carmen Jones (1954), Islands in the Sun (1957), and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). In fact, his breakthrough album, his third studio record titled Calypso (1956), became the first LP to sell a million copies and topped the Billboard album charts for a staggering 31 weeks.
Among his honors include three Grammys, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award, alongside an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor, and the National Medal of Arts.
He was particularly renowned for his work as an activist, a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., and an active part of the civil rights movement. Belafonte also advocated for the end of the Apartheid movement and the USA for Africa group, being a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 1987.
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