Latest news with #HarryBelafonte
Time Magazine
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
The True Story Behind the 'Sunday Best'
On July 21, Netflix debuted Sunday Best, a documentary about The Ed Sullivan Show—the longest-running variety show in U.S. broadcast history—and how it featured Black American performers at a time when discrimination was still rampant in the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregated schools unconstitutional in 1954, and the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, the documentary highlights how racism never really went away. The Ed Sullivan Show, which aired from 1948 to 1971 and boasted between 35 and 50 million viewers each Sunday night, was one of the first mainstream stages to showcase Black talent—as the artists wanted to be seen. Viewers will see snippets of past performances on the show by Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, Nina Simone, James Brown, The Jackson 5, and The Supremes. In the documentary, entertainment greats like Belafonte and Smokey Robinson talk about the influence of Sullivan's show, and through a recreation of Ed Sullivan's voice, Sunday Best features Sullivan's comments on racial issues over the years, verbatim from his letters, articles, and columns. 'He was a door opener, especially for Black artists,' says Otis Williams, lead singer of The Temptations. 'This man opened up his door and let artists come on his show to express and be seen.' Here's a look at how the doc dives into Sullivan's modern (for his time) worldview, featuring the Black entertainers who talk about how much it meant to be on his Sunday night show. A progressive streak Sunday Best argues that one of the reasons that Sullivan was so open-minded was because he grew up poor in Harlem, at a time when it had a sizable Irish and Jewish population. The Irish had a history of facing discrimination, so Sullivan was more attuned to the mistreatment of Black people in America. As a high schooler in Port Chester, N.Y., Sullivan played baseball and regularly encountered teams with Black players, so he believed in integration from an early age. As Sullivan explains in a TV interview, 'When we played baseball [at] Port Chester High School, there were Negroes in the league, and some fellas actually said they would not play against a Negro. I always resented them very deeply because the Irish had gone through that when they first came…My parents knew these things were wrong, and they were not just broad-minded, but sensible.' In fact, during his first career as a journalist, he slammed New York University's decision to bench a Black player during a game against the University of Georgia in a column he wrote as sports editor for the New York Evening Graphic. 'I was sickened to read NYU's agreement to bench a negro player for the entire game,' he wrote in 1929. 'What a shameful state of affairs this is…If a New York City university allows the Mason-Dixon line to be erected in the center of its playing field, then that university should disband its football [team] for all time.' And he didn't hold back when he started hosting a variety TV show in 1948—renamed The Ed Sullivan Show in 1955. 'We've been called upon to search our hearts and souls of hatred, cleanse them of a natural hate and fear for our neighbors…Bigotry and intolerance, racial or religious hate and discrimination are spiritual acts of treason.' He also called upon Americans to 'join in this great crusade for our brotherhood' for a 'united America is the sole remaining hope for our shattered world.' Door opener In Sunday Best, singer Dionne Warwick says Sullivan 'wanted his audience to understand that there was a lot of talent out there that needed exposure.' Belafonte, who appeared on the Ed Sullivan show 10 times, says Sullivan 'pushed the envelope as far as the envelope could be pushed.' He says CBS network executives almost stopped him from first performing on the show in 1953 because of his left-wing politics, and Sullivan called him to tell him he might have to cancel the appearance. But Sullivan was the one who convinced the network to let the show go on. 'He gave me a chance to talk to him about acts considered rebellious,' Belafonte explains. 'Those who weren't happy about giving us the platform with us about politics…Ed took the position, 'let's test it, and see where it would go.'' Ed Sullivan still had Nat King Cole on the show in May 1956, a month after the entertainer was attacked in Birmingham, Alabama. He had the child prodigy Stevie Wonder on in 1964 when he was only 13 years old. Members of the Jackson 5 talked about how their 1969 appearance helped launch them to a new level of fame. 'To Motown, The Ed Sullivan Show was the ultimate,' Berry Gordy, Motown Records founder, says in the doc. 'If it was a hot act, Ed Sullivan had them. It was American culture.' And though Sullivan died in 1974 at the age of 73, music can still bring people together. As Robinson puts it, 'Music is the international language. It's the barrier breaker.'
Black America Web
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
10 Jams To Celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month
Caribbean-American Heritage Month, celebrated every June, honors the rich contributions of Caribbean-Americans to the United States. From politics to sports, and especially music, their impact has left an indelible mark on American culture. This month invites the nation to recognize and celebrate the vibrant traditions, history, and talent of Caribbean-American communities. One of the most influential areas of Caribbean-American expression is music. Genres like reggae, calypso, and dancehall have taken root in the U.S., influencing hip-hop, pop, and R&B. Through their rhythmic energy and lyrical depth, these artists embody the essence of Caribbean-American culture. Their music bridges generations and inspires listeners worldwide. Here's a list of 10 unforgettable songs by Caribbean-American musicians, showcasing their diverse nationalities. 10 Jams To Celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month was originally published on 1. Harry Belafonte – 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)' Nationality: Jamaican 2. Johnny Kemp – 'Just Got Paid' Nationality: Bahamian 3. Maxwell – 'Lifetime' Nationality: Haitian & Puerto Rican 4. Fridayy – 'When It Comes To You' Nationality: Haitian 5. Nicki Minaj – 'Moment 4 Life' Nationality: Trinidadian 6. Heavy D – Big Daddy Nationality: Jamaican 7. Busta Rhymes – 'In The Ghetto' Nationality: Jamaican 8. Wyclef Jean – 'Gone Till November' Nationality: Haitian 9. Lenny Kravitz – 'It Ain't Over Til It's Over' Nationality: Bahamian 10. The Notorious B.I.G. – 'Juicy' Nationality: Jamaican
New York Times
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Olga James, a Star of ‘Carmen Jones' and ‘Mr. Wonderful,' Dies at 95
Olga James, an actress and operatic soprano whose career highlights occurred nearly back to back in the mid-1950s — as Harry Belafonte's jilted girlfriend in the all-Black musical film 'Carmen Jones' and as Sammy Davis Jr.'s love interest in the Broadway show 'Mr. Wonderful' — died on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles. She was 95. Her death, in an assisted living facility, was confirmed by her niece Janet Adderley. Ms. James had performed with an opera company in France and in a popular musical revue in Atlantic City, N.J., when her manager, Abe Saperstein — the basketball impresario behind the Harlem Globetrotters — landed her an audition in 1954 for 'Carmen Jones,' the movie version of Oscar Hammerstein II's hit 1943 Broadway update of Georges Bizet's opera 'Carmen.' The opera is set in 1820s Spain; the setting of the film, like that of the Broadway musical, is the American South during World War II. Auditioning for the role of Cindy Lou, whose boyfriend, Joe (played by Mr. Belafonte), a soldier headed for flight school, is seduced by Carmen (Dorothy Dandridge), a worker in a parachute factory, Ms. James sang an aria at the Alvin Theater (now the Neil Simon Theater) for Otto Preminger, the film's imperious director. 'It wasn't a stretch for me,' she was quoted as saying in 'Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King' (2007), by Foster Hirsch. 'I was that character, a country-looking girl. I was just a little ingénue.' Ms. James with Harry Belafonte in a publicity photo for 'Carmen Jones.' She did her own singing; his singing voice and Dorothy Dandridge's were dubbed because they could not sing in an operatic range. Credit... 20th Century Fox, via MichaelShe won the role. 'Carmen Jones' would be her first movie — and her last. Of the film's three lead performers, only Ms. James did her own singing; Mr. Belafonte's and Ms. Dandridge's songs were dubbed because they could not sing in an operatic range. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
