• December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990
• Sammy Davis Jr. began performing professionally at just 3 years old as part of the Will Mastin Trio with his father and uncle. His debut film appearance came at age 7 in Rufus Jones for President (1933).
• Sammy honed his dance skills under the tutelage of tap-dancing icon Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. He also developed skills in singing, dancing, comedy, and playing multiple instruments, including drums, piano, trumpet, and vibraphone.
• In 1954, Davis lost his left eye in a car accident. Undeterred, he continued performing with his signature glass eye.
• Davis faced immense backlash for his 1960 marriage to the Swedish actress May Britt; it was one of the first high-profile interracial marriages in the US. The couple married despite death threats and significant societal stigma. They had three children together before divorcing in 1968.
• Davis received a Tony nomination for his starring role in the 1964 Broadway musical Golden Boy. The production also broke racial barriers, portraying an interracial romance.
• His 1972 hit "The Candy Man" went to #1 in the US and became his signature song, but that didn't sit well with Davis, who didn't like the song and had to be cajoled into recording it. When Davis played nightclubs (especially in Las Vegas) it put him in the awkward position of performing a kids' song to a very adult audience. He would often crack some jokes while singing it.
• As a core member of The Rat Pack, Davis brought energy and humor to the group's legendary performances, sharing the stage with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.
• Davis was known for his spot-on celebrity impressions of the likes of Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, and Jerry Lewis. He often weaved comedy and impersonations into his musical performances.
• Davis earned and lost millions throughout his career, with extravagant spending and lax accounting that caused some problems. Despite earning $50 million at his peak, he owed $7 million in taxes by the end of his life.
• A connoisseur of fine drinks, Davis favored Japanese whisky, especially Suntory, and even became one of its first American celebrity endorsers.
• Despite his glamorous lifestyle, Davis enjoyed simple dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, ham hocks, greens, and fried chicken.
• With little formal schooling because of his early career, Davis's education came from life on the road. His 1965 autobiography, Yes I Can, became a bestseller, but it was primarily written by his close friends, Burt and Jane Boyar. Davis acknowledged his limited involvement, stating, "I did not type a letter. I did not put one syllable on a piece of paper." (Source Trivial Biographies).

Comments

More Songfacts:

I Ran (So Far Away)A Flock of Seagulls

"I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock Of Seagulls ends with an alien abduction.

StanEminem

Thanks to Eminem's song, the word "stan" was added to the Oxford American Dictionary in 2017. It means an obsessive fan.

Sloop John BThe Beach Boys

"Sloop John B" is a traditional West Indian folk song, and it was a huge hit for The Beach Boys in 1966. They tweaked the lyric, "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "...I've ever been on" as a wink to acid culture.

3 AMMatchbox Twenty

The Matchbox Twenty song "3 AM" is about the difficult times lead singer Rob Thomas spent caring for his mother, who had cancer.

Nothin' On YouB.o.B

When "Nothin' On You" reached #1 on the Hot 100, B.o.B became the first American act whose name is a palindrome to top the chart. The other two who did so prior to the Atlanta rapper were both Scandinavian groups - ABBA and A-Ha.

Just Give Me A ReasonPink

Pink wrote "Just Give Me A Reason" about how one partner can feel jilted over something trivial, like how her boyfriend passes her the butter.

Editor's Picks

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Glen BallardSongwriter Interviews

Glen Ballard talks about co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, and his work with Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and Annie Lennox.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."