Sammy Davis Jr. an Old Time Classic
By Tucker Cain
Sammy's child Hood
Sammy Davis Jr. is an old time favorite. He could sing, He could dance, and he could act. He was born on December 8, 1925, in New York City. His parents got a divorce when he was three years old. His first performance onstage was at three years old too. When his parents split his father gained custody and raised Sammy Davis. He went with his father and uncle on the road where he learned how to tap dance. Soon he had mastered tap dancing and began to perform with his dad and uncle. They became the Will Mastin Trio.
That suited Sammy for a while until he was drafted into the army in 1943. WWII was at its peak and they needed soldiers. Sammy was constantly harassed by the white soldiers. He experienced racial prejudice that he had never seen before because his dad kept him away from the worst of it when he was younger. When he got out of the army he resumed his career as a singer. In 1950, he released his first two solo albums. In 1954, he got a contract with Decca records.
To the End
He also tried acting and was very good at it. He performed in Mr wonderful in 1956 on Broadway. He also had a part in GoldenBoy. He was in Anna Lucasta in 1958. In 1960, things changed. He got married to Swedish actress May Brett. They had one daughter and adopted two sons. They were married for eight years. Sammy fought for black rights and was there when Martin Luther King Jr. was. He played in Ocean's 11 in 1960. He also had a huge part The Ratpack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. His career took a wrong turn 1964. He was in a car crash was really close to death. He lost an eye and messed up his face. His career took a break while he recovered and he met Altives Gore. She was an actress and they got married in 1970. Sammy began to go back to what made him famous, tap dancing. he died a happy man in 19 70 from throat cancer.
Sammy was an amazing artist and will be remembered as an American legend. He was a lifelong smoker. He wrote some of the best music. Like Candy Man and I’ve gotta be me.