4 | MAY 11 • 2023
for openers
When Harry Met Big Al
L
egendary singer, actor,
WWII veteran and civil
rights activist Harry
Belafonte passed away at age
96 on April 25. The news of
his passing instantly opened
the floodgates
of some of the
most cherished
memories of my
career and life.
I was given the
high privilege of
performing on
stage with Harry
— not just once,
but twice!
Don’t fact check me. I have
witnesses and, as you can see,
I have photos.
In March 2000, Harry
Belafonte was coming to town
to participate and perform
for the three day “Celebration
of Diversity” town hall
meeting, benefit concert and
youth diversity symposium
sponsored by the Southfield
Community Foundation
(SCF) and the National
Conference for Community
and Justice.
Local marketing maven,
publicist and major event
producer Roz Lullove
Cooperman was the creator
and driving force behind
organizing the Belafonte
appearances when she was a
board member on the SCF.
Roz was looking for a fun
local media angle to tie-in
with to help promote the
events, someone she said:
“Who really did well with
live audiences and who could
build a rapport with Harry on
stage.” And despite risking her
credibility, she actually chose
me.
Roz and I caught up last
week for coffee, 23 years after
Harry’s visit to Detroit, to
fondly remember the one-
of-a-kind entertainer and
humanitarian who was Harry
Belafonte.
We spread out wonderful
photos, news clippings and
promotional materials that
chronicled his visit and
reminisced and wiped away a
tear or two remembering how
it all came together.
SHARED JOURNEYS
It turns out Harry and Roz
were already dear friends by
the time of the Celebration
of Diversity program. The
two had met a few years prior
when Harry was in town for
another event. Roz had the
opportunity to have a private
chat with him over something
that profoundly impacted both
of their lives — cancer.
Roz was a breast cancer
survivor, and she knew
Harry was a prostate cancer
survivor. That conversation
led to a collaboration between
the two, eventually teaming
up on several occasions
to help promote prostate
cancer awareness. “It was
a very important message
to communicate to men
in general and particularly
to men in the minority
community,” Roz said.
That budding relationship
would pay dividends again
when Roz asked Harry
to make a return visit to
Motown for the Celebration of
Diversity program.
CASTING CALL
Roz reached out to me at
the Dick Purtan Show and
formerly invited me to
perform live on-stage during
Harry’s benefit concert on the
evening of March 10, 2000,
at the Detroit Opera House.
It was agreed upon by Harry
that I would (steel drum roll
please) be given the high
honor of singing Belafonte’s
iconic “Banana Boat” song
with him! Can you say: “Day-
O!”
But I told Roz she’d have to
go through my agent. Yeah,
right. Of course, I didn’t. I’m
certain I said yes before she
finished her invitation.
But before I get to the
details of that magical night,
there was a quaint dinner
party arranged by Roz at her
home the evening before the
concert that would give me a
chance to meet Harry.
Billy Crystal has his When
Harry Met Sally, well this is
my When Harry Met Big Al.
BELAFONTE AND BRISKET
I came to learn that the
incomparable calypso crooner
Belafonte had almost as much
experience with Judaism as
he had with Jamaica. Harry’s
second wife, to whom he was
married for 46 years from
1958 to 2004, was Jewish-
born dancer Julie Robinson.
They had a son and daughter
together.
Roz put on her Jewish
mother hat the evening prior
to the concert and cooked
Harry a delicious kosher
brisket with all the traditional
trimmings, including dill
pickles. It was enjoyed by a
dozen guests, including yours
truly, around an elegantly set
dining room table in Roz’s
home.
Roz also wore her producer
hat when she strategically
sat me next to Harry to get
acquainted. We had an instant
rapport.
By the way, this was not
a huge star who was just
trying to get through some
obligatory dinner. (I’m talking
about Harry, not me.) He
took an interest in everybody
in attendance. “Harry was
one of the most elegant and
thoughtful listeners,” Roz
recalled fondly. I learned that
firsthand.
Harry asked me questions
and took a genuine interest
Alan
Muskovitz
Contributing
Writer
PURELY COMMENTARY
Harry Belafonte
and Alan
Muskovitz, circa
2000.