Samuel George “Sammy” Davis, Jr., was an American entertainer. He lived from December 8, 1925 to May 16, 1990. He was a dancer, singer, multi-instrumentalist (vibraphone, trumpet, and drums), impressionist, comedian, convert to Judaism, and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor. He was part of the 1960s Rat Pack that included his old friend Frank Sinatra and fellow performers Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Dean Martin. Samuel George “Sammy” Davis, Jr. was a young man born to Elvera Sanchez (1905-192000), a Puerto Rican tap dancer, as well as Sammy Davis, Sr. (1900-1988), an African American entertainer. Both were vaudeville dancers. His paternal grandmother raised him as an infant. His parents divorced when he was three years of age. He was taken on tour by his father to avoid losing custody. Sammy Davis, Jr. claimed that his mother was Puerto Rican, and was born in San Juan during his lifetime. He learned to dance from his father, Will Mastin (his uncle), as a child. As a young boy, Davis joined the band and became the Will Mastin Troo. Davis included the Will Mastin trio in his billing throughout his long career. His father and Mastin had protected him from racism. For example, jealousy was used to explain snubs. However, Davis was subject to strong racial prejudice while he served in the United States Army during World War II. He later stated, “Overnight, the world looked different.” It was not one color anymore. My father and Will had provided me with the protection I needed all my life. Their love and hope for me meant that I wouldn’t have to learn about prejudice or hate. But they were wrong. It was like I had walked through a swinging door for 18 years. A door they secretly kept open. He found that the spotlight helped to remove some prejudice while he was in the military. My talent was my weapon, power, and the way to fight. He said that it was the only way he could hope to influence a man’s mind. Sammy Davis, Jr. and Roy Wilkins at the 1963 Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C. Davis returned to the dance group that played at many spots around Portland Oregon. He was praised by critics for his success, and he continued to enjoy it. His second album was released the following year. His next step in his career was to star in the Broadway musical Mr. Wonderful in 1956. He was a member the Rat Pack in 1959. It was headed by Frank Sinatra and featured fellow performers such as Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford and Shirley MacLaine. Sinatra initially called the group of fast-living friends the Clan, but Sam opposed it, claiming that it was too similar to the Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra changed the name of the group to “the Summit “…” but the media continued to call it the Rat Pack. Davis, who was the headliner at The Frontier Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, for many years, was forced to stay in a west-side rooming house rather than with his fellow performers, just as all black performers were in the 1950s. Black performers were not allowed to dress on stage and were forced to wait by the pool outside between acts. Count Basie and Nat King Cole were able to entertain on the stage during his first years in Las Vegas. However, they could not stay at the hotels where they performed. They could also not gamble at the casinos or visit the bars and restaurants at the hotels. After his superstar success, Davis refused work in venues that practiced racial discrimination. His demands led eventually to integration of Miami Beach nightclubs as well as Las Vegas casinos. Davis was proud of this achievement. While James Brown might claim the title “Hardest Working Man In Show Business”, it could be argued that Sammy Davis Jr. was more deserving. In 1964, he was filming his own talk show in the afternoon and starring in Golden Boy at night. He would spend his days away from the theater either recording new songs or performing live at charity events in Miami, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Or he would do television variety specials. Sam was aware that he was cheating his family and his company at the time. But he couldn’t help but to continue his career. Despite being a big draw in Las Vegas, Davis had lost his musical career in the late 1960s. However, he did have a #11 hit (#1 in the Easy Listening singles charts) in 1969 with “I’ve Gotta Be Me”. His attempts to modernize his sound and connect with younger people led to some embarrassing “hip music efforts at Motown. Sammy’s unexpected hit single “Candy Man” was a surprise worldwide success, even though his career seemed to be at its lowest point. He didn’t like the song and was disappointed that it was his best-known hit. However, Davis took advantage of the opportunity and revived his career. He did not have any more Top 40 hits but he was able to enjoy extra popularity through his rendition of the T.V. theme song. Baretta (1975-1978), which was not released as single, but received extensive radio coverage. He remained a popular live act outside of Vegas for the rest of his career. He still managed to land parts on television and in films, including a high-profile appearance in the All in the Family series. He also appeared in memorable commercials for Suntory whiskey in Japan in the 1970s. NBC broadcast a musical variety special called Movin’ with Nancy on December 11, 1967. The Emmy Award-winning musical performances and the famous kiss between Sammy Davis Jr. and Nancy Sinatra made the show memorable. It was also the first time that U.S. television had ever broadcast a black-white kiss. Davis was featured in Japanese television commercials for coffee. In the U.S., he joined Sinatra, Martin, and a radio advertisement for a Chicago car dealer. Davis was the first celebrity to admit that he watched soap operas on television, especially those produced by American Broadcasting Company. He made a guest appearance on General Hospital, and he played Chip Warren, a recurring character on One Life to Live. This earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for 1980. He was also a fan of game shows, appearing on ABC’s Family Feud in 1979 and hosting a question with Richard Dawson from the sidelines. In the 1970s, he appeared on Tattletales along with his third wife Altovise. In 1981, he also appeared on an episode of NBC’s Card Sharks. Davis loved to photograph family and friends. Burt Boyar published a 2007 book that detailed Davis’s work. Boyar quotes Davis as saying, “Jerry [Lewis] gave to me my first important camera. My first 35 millimeter during the Ciro period, early 1950s.” He hooked me. Later, Davis used a medium format camera to capture images. Davis said, “Nobody interrupts an individual taking pictures to ask… “What’s that nigger doing here?” “. Some of his photos include rare photos of his father performing onstage with the Will Mastin Trio. There are intimate photos of close friends, such as Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. His political affiliations were also represented in his photographs of Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. But, his most striking work is the photos of May Britt with their three children, Tracey Jeff, Mark, and Jeff. (Credit Wikipidia.org). User-contributed text may be available under Creative Commons By–SA License. It may also be available under GNU FDL.
