Sammy davis junior wikipedia

Sammy James Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr. December 8, — May 16, was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. He was born in Harlem , New York City. Davis became hugely successful as a stage singer and recording artist and when asked to play at segregated places where African-Americans were not allowed he refused. Because of this some popular venues began to allow African-Americans to attend just so they could have Daver popular black musicians play.

Sammy davis junior wikipedia

Sammy Davis Jr. As his fame grew, his refusal to appear in any clubs that practiced racial segregation led to the integration of several venues in Miami Beach and Las Vegas. Samuel George Davis Jr. Davis's parents split up when he was 3 and he went to live with his father, who was working as an entertainer in a dance troupe. When his father and adopted uncle went on tour, Davis was brought along, and after learning to tap the three began performing together. They would eventually be dubbed the Will Mastin Trio. Because of the group's itinerant lifestyle, Davis never received a formal education, though his father did occasionally hire tutors while they were on the road. During their travels in the s, the young Davis not only became an accomplished dancer but also a skilled singer, multi-instrumentalist and comedian and was soon the star of the show. Davis also made his first appearance in film during this time, dancing in the short Rufus Jones for President. During his service, he directly experienced horrendous racial prejudice that his father had previously protected him from. He was constantly harassed and physically abused by white soldiers, with his fellow servicemen breaking his nose. But Davis eventually found refuge in an entertainment regiment, where he discovered that performing allowed him a certain measure of safety and a desire to earn even a hateful audience member's love. After the war, Davis resumed his showbiz career. He continued to perform with the Will Mastin Trio as the star of the act and also struck out on his own, singing in nightclubs and recording records. His career began to rise to new heights in when the trio opened for Frank Sinatra with whom Davis would remain a lifelong friend and collaborator at the Capitol Theatre in New York.

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Starring Sammy Davis Jr. Five of the songs on Starring Sammy Davis Jr. Davis was involved in a serious car accident on November 19, , that resulted in the loss of his left eye. He was still wearing an eye patch on the cover of this, his debut LP, released months later. The album became Davis' first and only number one album on the Billboard , making him the first African American solo artist and singer to accomplish this. The AllMusic review by William Ruhlmann awarded the album three and a half stars and said that the final track "The Birth of the Blues", "succeeded in giving the listener a sense of what Davis was like in live performance". Contents move to sidebar hide.

Samuel George Davis Jr. December 8, — May 16, was an American singer, actor, comedian and dancer. After military service, Davis returned to the trio and became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's in West Hollywood after the Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In , at the age of 29, he lost his left eye in a car accident. Several years later, he converted to Judaism , finding commonalities between the oppression experienced both by black Americans and Jewish communities. Davis had a starring role on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful with Chita Rivera In , he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean's He returned to the stage in in a musical adaptation of Clifford Odets ' Golden Boy.

Sammy davis junior wikipedia

Sign In Sign In. New Customer? Create account. Samuel George Davis. Mini Bio. Sammy Davis Jr. Davis Jr. I'm a short, ugly, one-eyed, black Jew.

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Page Talk. Retrieved August 2, Samuel George Davis Jr. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service , [9] and his estate was the subject of legal battles after the death of his wife. Mark Ruffalo. Ayo Edebiri. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! They would eventually be dubbed the Will Mastin Trio. In , Davis was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. Unsourced material may be challenged or removed. August 14, In , there was another racially charged public controversy when Davis married white, Swedish-born actress May Britt in a ceremony officiated by Rabbi William M. September 29,

Sammy Davis Jr.

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