Sammy Davis Jr. Essay, Research Paper
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem on December 8, 1925, to Elvera Sanchez, a chorus girl, and Sam Davis, a dancer. He was raised by his father and grandmother. His father was in an act with Will Mastin, who was a close friend of the family. At a young age, Sammy joined the act as a singer and dancer. They were known as the Will Mastin Trio . It was not the best job, but it put food on the table.
Sammy tried to join the army when Pearl Harbor was bombed, but he was too young. The next year, he got in. He had to go through basic training eight times because there was not much room in the army for performers. He was put down and spit on in the army, but that made him want to perform more. Upon his discharge the trio got back together, and Sammy met Frank Sinatra for the first time.
Sammy wanted to be a big star and he realized this major difference between most black artists and the famous white artists. Most black artists came on stage played some songs, joked at or to each other, and left. The white artists talked with the audience. It was as if the black artists were not fit to talk to the audience. Sammy changed this at a nightclub in Hollywood. He touched the audience . This got him a record deal with Decca.
When Sammy was a rising star, he was driving from Las Vegas to L.A. He had an accident that took away his
Sammy worked hard. You already know he had many talents. What you probably did not know is that he often worked on several projects at the same time. He never received an award, but he was merely a performer, not a writer.
The Rat Pack was made up of Sammy, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and several other actors who worked together on Ocean s Eleven. While they were in Vegas shooting scenes they worked the Sands Hotel and Casino.
In 1960, he wed May Britt. They had Children, but Sammy s devotion to his career led to their divorce.
Sammy was active in politics. He supported Democrats until 1972, when he ran to President Nixon s side. When questioned about selling out Sammy said that Nixon had bought him with good deeds for our country.
Sammy met Altovise in London and they were married a few years later. When Sammy died May 16,1990, she was left with a huge debt to pay without help from anyone.
Sammy was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He is rarely remembered though for several reasons. One is that he had no control over what he acted in, and the show might not have been high quality. The main reason Sammy Davis Jr. is not remembered is that he entertained for the time he was in and that time has passed.