Of course, 96 years is a good long life.  But somehow, I wasn’t prepared for the death of Harry Belafonte.  I think I wore out my “long playing” record of “Calypso” (1956).  But Belafonte was so much more than our introduction to music of the Caribbean. 

He was a supreme entertainer (Calypso was the first million-selling album by a single artist) and a tireless activist.  Not to mention, extremely good looking. 

In the summer of 1958, in Florence, Italy, my friend Joanie and I were in a small ice cream parlor when Harry Belafonte himself walked in.  He turned to us and said, “Oh typical American girls having to have their ice cream.” It was a definite highlight of the trip.

The other night, thanks to YouTube, I listened to all of my Belafonte favorites.  I sang at the top of my lungs.  

Fortunately, I live alone.