The Curtain Closes on Belafonte, Springer

Stories by Vanessa Obioha

The past few days have been a newsy one on the international scene. From the firing of the TV host Tucker Carlson by Fox, and Don Lemon by CNN, the ousting of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and the stepping down of BBC Chairman Richard Sharp, to the copyright trial of Ed Sheeran over Marvin Gaye’s hit ‘Let’s Get It On,’ and the conviction of Fugees member Pras Michel of international political conspiracy.

However, two significant figures passed on. Harry Belafonte, the iconic American singer, actor and activist of Jamaica descent,  famous for his ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song)’ song died on Tuesday, April 25. His cause of death as revealed by his spokesman Ken Sunshine was congestive heart failure. Belafonte was credited for causing a frenzy for Caribbean sounds, particularly with his 1956 album ‘Calypso’ which became the first album by a single artist to sell more than a million copies. He is also among the few American celebrities that received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) awards.

Two days after his passing, Jerry Springer, the TV host known for his controversial eponymous TV show died after a brief illness. Springer, who began his career as a politician, became a cultural phenomenon with his show. He adopted a talk-show format that left viewers shocked and glued to their screens with the outrageous confessions of lovers, spouses and family members in unbelievable affairs. The show ran for nearly three decades, ending in 2018 after more than 3,000 episodes. Springer born Gerald Norman Springer was aged 79.