Note #2: I was discharged from the army in 1946, at which point I went back to my roots to continue performing with the Will Mastin Troupe (which, as discussed, had only three members left: me, my father, and “Uncle Will”). There was no way I was going to let the army put a stop to my song singing, tap dancing, impersonating, and trumpet playing lifestyle. I mean, they let me do these things when I was in the army anyway, but that is beside the point. I was lucky enough to do some solo performances during our travels and this was how my career really started to take off. I was asked to sing the title song for the upcoming film “Six Bridges to Cross.” Naturally, I accepted. On my way to record for the film, I got into a little fender-bender. Well actually, it was more than just a fender bender; it was a car accident that almost took my life. Luckily enough, I survived. I did, however, lose my left eye in the accident, as the horn button—well I won’t go into it; it’s a bit graphic. But anyways, back to my career. Recording this song was the first time I experienced Hollywood. It was all uphill from here. (sort of). I continued with my live performances and, through this, met some really great men, including Frank Sinatra and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. These performances landed me a record deal with Decca Records in 1954. I released my first LP “Starring Sammy Davis Jr” in 1955, which went over very well. So well, in fact, that I released a second LP, titled “Just for Lovers.” This lead to my Broadway debut in the show “Mr. Wonderful” which was written just for me! Once again sharing the stage with my father and “Uncle Will,” I had the time of my life for a full 383 performances. Speaking of debuts, I should mention that around this time, I made my TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. I continued to make numerous appearances on various TV shows and also continued to work on movies. In 1959, I played the role of “Sportin’ Life” in the movie adaptation of Porgy and Bess. Then came the ‘60s. The Rat Pack and I (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford) work on several projects together, including Robin and the Seven Hoods and Ocean’s Eleven (the original, not that new-fangled remake). I was still performing, though, and I made the decision not to perform at any nightclubs which still displayed segregation. My efforts were well worth it once my demands were met, causing the integration of many nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos. I married May Britt around this time as well. We were an interracial couple, which sparked some backlash since the majority of the states had yet to legalize interracial marriage. After having one daughter, Tracey, and adopting two sons, Mark and Jeff, we simply needed to get a divorce. I went on to host “The Sammy Davis Jr. Show” and met Altovise Gore, who I would go on to marry in 1970. I went on performing for most of my life until some complications due to throat cancer. It turned out that my smoking habits had more of an affect than I anticipated. Despite a seemingly successful surgery, I lost the battle to cancer on May 16, 1990. With love, Sammy Davis Jr.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:49:49 +0000
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