An Update of an Icon one Unsung til Now. From the early years in the 20th Century to Stardom this is the story of Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990)

1. SAMMY DAVIS JR.
– A FORCE TO BE
RECKON WITH
By Susan Graham

2. ORIGINS
 Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was born on
December 8, 1925.
 an African American Jewish entertainer. Primarily a
dancer and singer, he was also an actor of stage and
screen, musician, and impressionist, noted for his
impersonations of actors, musicians and other
celebrities. At the age of three Davis began his
career in vaudeville with his father and Will Mastin
as the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally.
 as an only son and the eldest of three children, to
Sammy Davis Sr., an African-American entertainer,
and Elvera Sanchez, a tap dancer of Afro-Cuban
descent. Sammy had two younger sisters Ramona
(who died 2001) and Suzette.

3. STRUGGLES AND
TRIUMPH
 His official status is Afro-Latino but in addition As an African-
American, Davis was the victim of racism throughout his life and
was a large financial supporter of the Civil Rights movement.
Davis had a complex relationship with the African-American
community, and drew criticism after physically embracing
President Richard M. Nixon in 1972. One day on a golf course
with Jack Benny, he was asked what his handicap was.
"Handicap?" he asked. "Talk about handicap — I'm a one-eyed
Negro Jew." This was to become a signature comment,
recounted in his autobiography, and in countless articles
 Davis admitted that he was uneducated and never went to
school and he didn’t learn to read or write once he enrolled in
the US Army.

4. STRUGGLES AND
TRIUMPH
 During service in WWII, the Army assigned Davis to an
integrated entertainment Special Services unit and he
found that the spotlight lessened the prejudice. Even
prejudiced white men admired and respected his
performances. "My talent was the weapon, the power,
the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might
hope to affect a man's thinking," he said in an
interview.
 When Davis served in the United States Army during
World War II, however, he was confronted by strong
racial prejudice. He later said, "Overnight the world
looked different.

5. MAKIN’ IT TO THE TOP
 After his discharge, Davis rejoined the family dance
act, which played at clubs around Portland, Oregon.
He began to achieve success on his own and was
singled out for praise by critics, releasing several
albums. This led to Davis being hired to sing the title
track for the Universal Pictures film Six Bridges to
Cross in 1954, and later to his starring role in the
Broadway play Mr. Wonderful in 1956.

6. MAKIN IT TO THE TOP -
DEFIANCE
 Davis nearly died in an automobile accident on November 19, 1954, in
San Bernardino, California, as he was making a return trip from Las
Vegas to Los Angeles. In 1953, he had struck up a friendship with
comedian and host Eddie Cantor, who gave him a mezuzah. Instead
of putting it by his door, as a traditional blessing, Davis would wear it
around his neck as a good luck charm. The only time he forgot it, one
night in 1954, he crashed his car on the way to a gig in California
 Davis lost his left eye to the bullet-shaped horn button (a standard
1954-55 Cadillac feature) as a result. His friend, actor Jeff Chandler,
said he would give one of his own eyes if it would keep Davis from
total blindness. Davis wore an eye patch for at least six months
following the accident. He was featured with the patch on the cover of
his debut album and appeared on What's My Line? Wearing the patch.
Later, he was fitted for a glass eye, which he wore for the rest of his
life.

7. CONTROVERSIAL
ROMANCE
 In 1960, Davis stirred crazy controversy again when he
married white Swedish-born actress May Britt. Davis
received hate mail while starring in the Broadway
musical adaptation of Golden Boy during 1964–66 (for
which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best
Lead Actor). At the time Davis appeared in the play,
interracial marriages were forbidden by law in 31 US
states (but were entirely legal in New York), and only
in 1967 were those laws ruled unconstitutional by the
US Supreme Court. Davis and Britt had one daughter
Tracey and adopted two sons.

8. RAT PACK
REVOLUTION
 In 1959, Davis became a member of the famous Rat
Pack, led by his friend Frank Sinatra, which included
fellow performers Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and
Peter Lawford, a brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy.
Initially, Sinatra, known formally as capo di tutti,
called the gathering "the Clan", but Davis voiced his
opposition, saying that it reminded people of the
Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the
Summit", but the media referred to them as the Rat
Pack, the name of its earlier incarnation led by
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. In addition
The Rat Pack is highly considered as the pioneers
of all Boy Bands.

9. GOING DRAMATIC
 Anna Lucasta (1959 film) a remake of the 1949 version
(directed by Irving Rapper and starring Paulette
Goddard), which itself was also an adaptation of
Yordan's 1936 stage play as is the 1959 version. Sammy
portrayed Danny Johnson originated by fellow actor
John Ireland from the 1949 original.
 The film was unsuccessful at the box office after United
Artists gave it little promotion and only a limited release.
Despite the failure of the 1959 remake many movie
fanatics praised Sammy’s performance by adding his
own personality to the character.

10. 1960’S – THE DECADE
THAT TOOK CLASSY
OUT
 “What Kind of Fool Am I? A popular song
written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony
Newley and published in 1962. It was
introduced by Anthony Newley in the
musical Stop The World - I Want To Get Off.
 The song was a Top 20 Pop hit for Sammy
Davis, Jr. in 1962 the year of its publication,
peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and at #6 on the Billboard Easy
Listening chart.

11. 1960’S - THE DECADE THAT
TOOK CLASSY OUT AND
TROUBLES BEGIN
 In 1964, Davis was starring in Golden Boy at night
and shooting his own New York-based afternoon
talk show during the day. When he could get a day
off from the theater, he would be recording new
songs in the studio, or performing live, often at
charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago, and
Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los
Angeles. Davis knew he was cheating his family of his
company, but he could not help himself; as he later
stated, he was incapable of standing still.

12. THE LATE 1960’S – THE 1970’S
 Although he was still a draw in Las Vegas, Davis's musical
career had sputtered by the late 1960s, although he had a
No. 11 hit (#1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've
Gotta Be Me" in 1969. His effort to update his sound and
reconnect with younger people resulted in his signing with
the Motown record label. Though his deal with them to
have his own label with the company fell through, Sammy
had an unexpected #1 hit with "The Candy Man" after he
signed with MGM Records in 1972. Although he did not
particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he
was now best known for it, Davis made the most of his
opportunity and revitalized his career.

13. THE 1980’S – THE NEXT
PHASE OF REVIVAL
 Davis was a fan of daytime soap operas, particularly the
shows produced by the American Broadcasting
Company. This led to a cameo appearance on General
Hospital and a recurring role as character Chip Warren
on One Life to Live, for which he received a Daytime
Emmy nomination in 1980.

14. SMOOTH GUNSLINGER
 Davis was an enthusiastic shooter and gun owner. He
participated in fast-draw competitions—Johnny Cash recalled
that Sammy was said to be capable of drawing and firing a Colt
Single Action Army revolver in less than a quarter of a second.
Davis was skilled at fast and fancy gun spinning, and appeared
on TV variety shows showing off this skill. He appeared in
Western films and as a guest star on several "Golden Age" T.V.
Westerns including Lawman and The Rifleman in seasons 4 and
5 in season 4 Sammy portrayed the evil Tin Corey
 Then returned as a braggart gunslinger with tall tales in the final
season.

15. CANCER BATTLE
 Earlier between 1988 to 1989, when he was told
that surgery (laryngectomy) offered him the best
chance of survival, Davis replied he would rather
keep his voice than have a part of his throat
removed; he subsequently was treated with a
combination of chemotherapy and radiation

16. THE END OF THE ONE WHO BROKE ALL
RACIAL BARRIERS
 Davis succumbs to Throat Cancer and passed away in Beverly Hills,
California, on May 16, 1990 at age 64,
 a few weeks prior to his death, his entire larynx was removed during
surgery. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale,
California, next to his father and Will Mastin.

17. WELL DESERVED
RECOGNITION AFTER 25
YEARS
 Sammy Davis Jr. was portrayed by Don
Cheadle in the HBO film The Rat Pack, a
television film about the group of
entertainers. Cheadle won a Golden Globe
award for his performance.
 On later episodes of The Cosby Show, Cliff
Huxtable (Bill Cosby) wore an "SDjr" pin as a
tribute to Davis, who, in its 5th season, made
a guest appearance in the episode "No Way,
Baby".
 Over the last 2 decades since his passing
Sammy Davis Jr. At the 2001 Grammy Awards
he was posthumously awarded the Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award. Also Davis was
a subject on Unsung Hollywood on TVOne in
the 2015 season.

18. STYLE N SASS
 Sammy’s style had evolved over the
years from big shoulder suits then to
sweaters with either black or white
shirts under to stage style suits with
the jacket taken off sometimes sleeves
rolled up and cool killer suede boots
(made for Walkin’) whenever he pulls
up and killer performance including a
dance move he did it with style
including the twist.
 Sammy is highly considered the best
twisters among many others twisting
dancing techniques.

19. STYLE N SASS
 In addition to his advantage adding glasses
(due to the car accident that almost ended
everything in 1954) Sammy added super
sass to his style along with the 3-piece suits
sometimes with bow ties and neck ties then
loosen (his on-stage signature) it to relax
with crowd filled with fans brought him the
masses not only as a Rat Pack elite but also
the status of Teen Idol in the mid-late 1950’s
due to his early transition from Vaudeville
performer to recording artist
 Sammy is also among the oldest Teen Idols
in Teen Idol History.

20. HAIRSTYLE HISTORY
 From straight, small curl flip on the right
side to hair cut trim to small afro. Sammy
did it all joining the ranks of best hairstyle
for the boys. In addition the straight hair
from the 1950s to the 1960s Sammy was
among the pioneers in the African American
Community to help popularize the style
along with fellow singers and groups after
him.

21. WE STILL LOVE
SAMMY AND
WE ARE
THINKING OF
HIM
 Sammy Davis, Jr. cultivated an entertainment career that incorporated performance through acting both in the
theater and movies, music, and dance. His theatrical, screen, and music credits include:
 Theater --
 1954, Mr. Wonderful
 1964, the Broadway Musical "Golden Boy"
 1978, Stop the World—I Want To Get Off.
 Movies --
 Porgy and Bess.
 Music --
 1954, "Hey There"
 1955, "Somethings Gotta Give", "Love Me Or Leave Me", " That Old Black Magic",
 1962, "What Kind of Fool Am I"
 1963, "The Shelter of Your Arms"
 1968, "I've Gotta Be Me"
 1972, "The Candy Man“
 Til this day many artists such as Michael Jackson ( Who died in 2009), James Brown (Who Died in 2006) had look
up to Sammy as a major influence. All we know is that Sammy Davis Jr. Is a Pioneer among many African American
singers, actors of today and 25 years later after his death Sammy Davis Jr is now well praised and we love him and
still we are thinking of him today so from us to you Mr. Sammy Davis Jr. Thank You and R.I.P.