bring in music journalist Michael Williams Michael always good to see you appreciate you taking the time no problem for Harry anything yeah your your reaction Michael to this news I mean not unexpected given his age but what a legacy what a life yes an incredible life I recently finished a project about the 1962 Space Needle and his name came up with the lady by the name of Sevilla Fort who was uh the person that taught him how to dance and a lot of other artists back then and I checked out his
website and he was still active until today um doing what he did he was the first artist that I knew of that included social justice not only as a part of his life but as a part of his active career bringing other folks in to do that as well uh back in 1961 62 Bob Dylan the First Recording he did was a recording of the Midnight Special with Harry Belafonte and Harry Belafonte was quite the task master he made Bob work for it and Bob wasn't too happier about that but the recording came out great
and then of course there's Deo uh there was Island I believe it was called Island in the Sun where he uh represented himself quite well on screen and just an incredible artist but has a social activist that was part of his life and as you mentioned he really wanted that to be his legacy and uh he did a wonderful record I believe it's called The Long Walk Home that I bought from my son on Buddha records it's a compilation of African-American music but he takes it right back to Africa and then goe
s into sanitary and brownie McGee and all the songs from the Caribbean the things that made his life rich and the things that he thought people should hear when it came to music and Africans not only in North America but around the world he was an incredible man I for me he was one of the few Role Models him and Sidney Poitier if it hadn't been for people like that there would have not been an act of civil rights movement that's absolutely for sure but the crowning glory for me um was in 2013 wh
en Public Enemy asked him to induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has my friend Duke eatman had just told me I called him up just before I got to you and he said now remember that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame didn't want Harry Belafonte to induct Public Enemy because he was too controversial how could you possibly be more controversial than Public Enemy but he did it brilliantly and he was just an incredibly wonderful man and what a way to tie the generations together is through
his life so I uh wish him God speed and thank you for calling me to do this because uh just to be able to say anything to him or about him is just uh in honor and a privilege and I was just about to reach out to him um recently and uh well can't do that now but still his legacy is wonderful and it's something we should all follow and uh use to inspire us it's a wonderful words and poignant as well thanks so much for this Michael I always like getting you on the program much appreciated nice to
be here thank you
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