Sammy Davis, Jr. saw the entertainment world from the 1930s until he passed away, after a tour with Jerry Lewis. He worked until the end. But his unique story, is the story of black entertainers in the 20th Century. This is one amazing interview. Samuel George Sammy Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 -- May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities. Primarily a dancer and singer, Davis started as a child vaudevillian who became known for his performances on Broadway and Las Vegas. He went on to become a world famous recording artist, television and film star. Davis was also a member of Frank Sinatras Rat Pack. At the age of three Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father and uncle as the Will Mastin Trio, toured nationally, and after military service, returned to the trio. Davis became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciros after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, he lost his left eye in an automobile accident. His film career began as a child in 1933. In 1960 he appeared in the first Rat Pack film, Oceans 11. After a starring role on Broadway in 1956s Mr Wonderful, Davis returned to the stage in 1964s Golden Boy, and in 1966 had his own TV variety show, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. Davis career slowed in the late sixties, but he had a hit record with The Candy Man, in 1972, and became a star in Las Vegas earning him the nickname Mister Show Business. As an African American, Davis was the victim of racism throughout his life, and was a large financial supporter of civil rights causes. Davis had a complex relationship with the African-American community, and attracted criticism after physically embracing Richard 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—Im a one-eyed Negro Jew.[1][2] This was to become a signature comment, recounted in his autobiography, and in countless articles.[3] After reuniting with Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with them and Liza Minnelli internationally, before dying of throat cancer in 1990. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and his estate was the subject of legal battles.[4] Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his television performances. He was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987, and in 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. - Wikipedia youtu.be/n2wq4hGewA4
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 18:02:48 +0000
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