This is from a fundraiser show starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as well as Sammy. The emcee was Johnny Carson. There is an awesome bit with Sammy impersonating a lot of singers ... just so talented. Also.... there are 2 orchestras backing them... the Count Basie Orchestra and then the other one conducted by young Quincy Jones. Very much worth checking out some more from this show.
He literally from when he was a kid, grew up in Vaudeville. Pure entertainer. That is why his generation of entertainers were just the best. Sammy, what can I say, no word can ever do him justice.
Britt! Do yourself and all of a favor and do a special episode. You have been talking about needing to watch an entire episode of All in the Family. Sammy Davis Jr. was on an AMAZING episode of AITF. In fact, he got the longest laugh in the history of television. Watch the whole thing! Girlfriend, it’ll change your life!
The greatest entertainer of my lifetime. There may be better singers better actors better dancers better comedian. But this man was all of those and more he was an ENTERTAINER. No one entertained an audience any better than Sammy. I know you love a good long post but I think you’ll appreciate the story. When I was 14 my mother took me to se Sammy Davis Jr at the old Walter Theatre in Los Angeles. I had NO interest in this but my dad was out of town and my mom said you’re going with me.made me put on a dress everything. Well Britt I’m just like you for two hours with no intermission this man and a live orchestra blew the roof off of this place and I was speechless. I just kept looking at my mom with my jaw on the ground. You could feel this man’s command of the room. We literally were hanging on his next word or note. So the night flys by and he’s done two encores and we’re like sad it’s over. He grabs the mike goes to the front of the stage says something like (this was 40 some years ago) folks it’s Saturday night I’m home I’m sleeping in my bed tonight and I’m here with my good friends and neighbors I’m going to throw the boys in the band a little extra green see if they might play a bit longer y’all wanna hang out? Well the place goes wild standing 5 min ovation. No plan no charts for the orchestra. He took requests from the audience, sung old broadway tunes he loved, did spot on speaking and singing impressions literally an extra 90 min of entertainment completely off the cuff. Well from that night on I never missed Sammy on record on TV and even got to see him one last time in Vegas less than a year before he left us. This man was the best entertainer of his and maybe any time.
One thing you may not know about Sammy...in 1954 he suffered a major car accident in Santa Barbara, and a decorative feature on the Cadillac he was driving took out his left eye. He spent the rest of his spectacular and lengthy career using a glass eye. Not the most difficult thing he had to overcome in 1950's America, but it was a great indication of his tenacity and grit, that he could go through that, and still wow people on stage every night.
I've been lucky to have lived in Vegas the last 50+ years. When guys like Sammy, Frank, Elvis, Dean ruled. I've seen them all. However, Sammy was the best. He could do it all, sing, dance, tap, joke, storytelling, he pasted multiple instruments. He was a perfectionist. A entertainer- performer. Yet a gracious, generos kind man. R. I. P. Sammy.
Before there was Michael Jackson there was Sammy Davis jr. Started of his career as a child star sing, dance, comedian and act. One of the first black superstar. Discovered performing on the street by Frank Sinatra who brought him to Hollywood. Check out his movie "Anna Lucasta” the film stars Eartha Kitt, (another singer, actress and black superstar) Sammy Davis Jr., and Henry Scott1. I think it's now showing on TUBI.
"Sammy Davis Jr. Tap Dancing - Italy 1962" - See a master of his craft, at the top of his talent, displayed on a small platform surrounded by a Jazz Band. PDC? Sammy will move to the front of the line.
We don’t have entertainers like this today. He was a singer, a dancer and actor. He was also a great comedian. You need to see him do “Here come da judge.”
His appearances on TV were legendary. A comedic judge on Laugh-In, sitting in Archie Bunker's chair, visiting "childhood friend" Carol Burnett, .... Mrs. Britt should watch Sammy doing impersonations. He sometimes got into trouble because colored persons weren't supposed to "play white", even if just for laughs. For a unique moment, watch the Legendary Drum Battle of Davis Jr + Krupa + Rich.
As an entertainer, he was probably the most complete package there ever was: singer, dancer, actor, comedian, impressionist--and nothing less than superb in all those disciplines. And, yes, as a black man who was also a kind of cultural superstar in an era before, and then overlapping with, the civil rights revolution of the 1950s and 60s, he was also, along with a handful of others (Harry Belafonte, Sidney Portier, James Baldwin), burdened with being a great exemplar of black excellence. Burdened because the very fact of their achievements, inspirational though it was, often was also used by racists to dismiss the reality of the tremendous barriers he & they had been obliged to overcome to reach that place of extraordinary accomplishment, and to appear to have done so in such an effortlessly elegant way. And they all took some friendly fire for that, despite their very real contributions to the freedom struggle. It must have been at times very hard being on that particular firing line, in those days. But he never really let the hardness show, nor sour him on the worthiness of the struggle, nor dim his brilliance as a performing artist. And for all that we can all be eternally grateful.
He was definitely the greatest talent of all time, in my opinion. He was also a great tap dancer as well as one of the funniest entertainers. So well rounded and multi-talented.
I don't know when this particular performance was taped, but the song was a hit at about the same time the Civil Rights Act was passed in the mid-1960s. Though he was an amazing star at that time, he was still not allowed to stay in some of the hotels where he was performing. "With your kind permission" was likely a term he had to use as a youth and young man. This is the first song, I ever heard Sammy Davis sing. I think I was about ten year old. His voice was so clear and powerful! I was a fan right from the start.
Any of the "Rat pack" are well worth watching or listening too. Sammy Davis was one of the best entertainers ever. There was nothing he didn't do very well. He even was one of the fastest cowboy quick draw artists. You are correct about his demeanor, though. He's one of those ppl you just know are great ppl. One of his best friends, Dean Martin , was my most favorite singer. Thank you for these Sammy Davis jr reactions. He never seems to get the recognition today he deserves
Mr. Entertainment. Sammy Davis Jr was a class act in movies, on stage and in music. One third of the famous Rat Pack, alongside Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, they dominated Hollywood in the fifties and sixties. They don't make em like him no more.
He was not only a singer, but singer stylist. And he did not manipulate hair, he manipulated the words and the feelings of those words to the hearer.🤩😊
Sammy was one of THE MOST beloved persons in the whole country, back in the day. Humble, self deprecating, funny, talented, soft spoken and geniunely talented. Lost an eye in an automobile accident, in 1954. THE ONLY TIME in his life that he wasn't wearing his lucky mezuzah, a gift from Eddie Cantor. One of the reasons for his eventual conversion to Judaism.
Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He could do it all: sing, dance, act. He started as a small child in vaudeville. He was also very involved in the civil rights movement.
I bought an album of him singing old country-western songs. He was versatile in song many ways. Singing, dancing, acting. He's one that I could watch for hours and never pick up my phone.
My favorite Sammy songs are Birth of The Blues, Hey There, Because of You, and My Funny Valentine. These are just some of the songs from my favorite album of his titled Starring Sammy Davis Jr. It was the only one that showed him him on the cover wearing his eye patch. I grew up with Sammy, Nat Cole, Frank, & Dean influence in my house thanks to my parents. I was a teenager in the 60’s and 70’s so was lucky to have had that influence as well as the 80’s, and 90’s. Thanks to my parents I also got a good dose of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Love that you appreciate the era and hope you keep going down this road.
Watch the clip of Sammy Davis Jr. and Anthony Newley singing a medley of Newley songs... thanks for reminding me of how good SDj was at everything.... and Tony Newley is an underappreciated songwriter.
Sammy was always my favourite from the rat pack. Love him. Another beautiful ballad singer , imo, is Matt Monroe. His version of Maria is wonderful. Also, Scott Walker singing Joanna.
The Roar of the Grease Paint The Smell of the Crowd is my favorite musical. Anthony Newley who wrote the show and all the songs as well as staring in the show was a genius. He also wrote all the songs for the movie "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". He and Sammy Davis were very good friends. Sammy Davis had his biggest hit with "The Candy Man" from that movie. You can find on TH-cam the Bert Bacharach TV Special from 1972 where Sammy Davis and Anthony Newley perform together.
Probably the greatest all-around entertainer that ever lived. Vocally, his placement is IMPECCABLE! It was hearing Sammy on the MDA Telethon that was one of my greatest memories as a kid as well as a major influence on my own vocal training.
I was born in 61. Watched a lot of the rat pack. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr. I will forever be grateful to be born in that era. I love Sammy Davis Jr. my heart is full of joy watching you react to Sammy Davis Jr.
This beautiful, yes, charming, gentlemanly way of speaking comes from men who are both humble, and know and share their own talents. They are gracious. And yes, men like that, they get a free pass in this life as far as I'm concrrned. Accidently burn the house down? I'll help them rebuild it. These men still exist, they are just rare. The gentleman he mentioned, who wrote thus song, Anthony Newly, had a beautiful way of speaking.
Look up MIchael Jackson's Tribute to Sammy when he was dying of cancer. hs 60th anniversary gala. Michael Wrote the song YOU WERE THERE....ad sang it only this one time...and one of his greatests...
he was hanging out with Dean Martin, Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, "the Rat Pack." There is a black and white 90 minute video of a fundraiser, called "Sinatra Spectacular". Johnny Carson stepped in for Joey Bishop. Like 1965. It's real "live" show business...
Sammy was the consumers entertainer. No one else like him. He could sing, dance, act, play several musical instruments, did impersonations, could be very funny,and was in musicals on Broadway. He had a long and industrious csreer. Please check out these 2 videos......."Bang Bang" from the movie "Robin and The 7 Hoods" and "Birth of The Blues" ( use video with blue background and floating staircase) Sammy was just that guy who could do it all. Oh, also watch the "Tap dance off" scene video from the movie "Tap" with.Gregory Hines.......you will see several of the old timers tapping.
Artists(actors, musicians, dancers, song writers, etc.)worked hard back then. They knew that they were representing us (black folk)! And they knew that everytime they stepped out on that stage that they wanted to do represent us well!!!😊
Anthony Newley, who wrote this song, also wrote, what IMO is one of Sammy's greatest performances, "What Kind Of Fool Am I". Anthony Newley wrote the children's song which was Sammy's biggest hit "Candy Man", and "Feelin' Good", which has been covered many times, most notably by Nina Simone. Sammy also had big hits with "I Gotta Be Me", "That Old Black Magic" and "Mr. Bojangles. Sammy was perhaps the greatest performer to ever hit the stage. He was a great tap dancer, actor, and could play just about every instrument in a big band orchestra.
There is a video of Sammy Davis singing and dancing when he is about 6 or 7. He’s singing I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal, You. He was a born performer and worked his entire life.
He appeared on an episode of "I Dream of Jeanie" where he performed "That old Black Magic" that showcased all his performing skills. If you can find that it's worth doing.
Britney, you need to find his story. He also has one eye. He was also the Fastest Draw with a Gun in real life. Go see him as a 4 year old dancing. He had a bid head.
Sammy was the real deal. I saw him live in the late 1960's at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles. (The same place where Robert Kennedy was killed). His show was perfection in every way. He was a performer who had you from the moment he walked out. You were riveted the entire time. There was nothing he couldn't do. He was the consummate entertainer.
I love you Brett I could watch you all day long. I love your bubbly personality and I love the way that when you talk about things you become a part of it, you’re so enjoyable thank you so much.
Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco, but that was only metaphorical. Sammy Davis Jr. left his eye in San Bernardino, and that was all too real. Departing Las Vegas for a Hollywood recording session, Davis was driving through the Cajon Pass on Route 66 when he came upon a strange sight. A car had stopped in front of him, apparently in preparation for turning around at Kendall Drive. Davis, who was new to driving and not very good at it, plowed his new lime green Cadillac convertible into the car. His face bounced off the cone in the middle of the steering wheel. It was just after 7 a.m. on Nov. 19, 1954, 65 years ago. “I had no control,” Davis said later. “I was just there, totally consumed by it, unable to believe I was really in an automobile crash.” This was a life-changing moment in the life of the 28-year-old nightclub entertainer, one that also turned San Bernardino upside down not once, but twice. To piece together what happened, I read relevant portions of Wil Haygood’s “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr.” as well as coverage in The Sun retrieved for me by colleague Joe Blackstock. The two women in the other car were injured but survived. Davis and his valet, Charlie Head, were transported to County Hospital, which was for the indigent. Emergency personnel merely saw two black men. County Hospital was full. Davis lay on a gurney as word began to spread as to who the bloody patient was. A Sun reporter went to the hospital - “Sammy Davis Jr. Suffers Eye Injury in S.B. Mishap,” the next-day headline read - and wire services reported the accident. By 10:30 a.m., Davis had been transported to Community Hospital, at Fourth Street and Arrowhead Avenue, and the city’s ear and eye surgeon, Fred Hull, had been called. Community was full too, but the head duty nurse cannily made room for the celebrity by discharging a couple of nobodies. Davis pal Jeff Chandler, an actor, rushed to San Bernardino to ensure his friend got the best care even out in the sticks. So did Jerry Lewis, a decade before “The Disorderly Orderly,” and Janet Leigh. Heady stuff. Hull examined his patient and decided Davis’ left eye was so badly damaged it would have to be removed. Davis was more concerned about his injured leg, because as a dancer, he needed both legs more than he needed both eyes. Hull assured him his leg would be fine. At 6 p.m., Davis was taken to surgery - in the aging hospital, this meant wheeling him outdoors to get to the surgery area - which was over in 45 minutes. By now the hospital switchboard was jammed with calls from friends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Eartha Kitt. Flowers arrived. Visitors included Tony Curtis, Ava Gardner, Jack Benny and Eddie Cantor. Cantor is said to have slipped a Star of David around the neck of Davis, who not long after converted to Judaism. On the other end of the social rung, the hospital’s few black employees, many in the kitchen, regarded Davis with awe and concern. A nightclub owner friend flew from Philadelphia, said he would pay all the hospital expenses and told the staff not to skimp. “Extra Jell-O for Mr. Davis, stat!” Just kidding. The accident, needless to say, was terrible, and Davis spent much of his hospital stay in darkness, head swaddled in bandages, listening to the radiator hiss and wondering if he had a future in show business. At his request, a hi-fi stereo was installed at his bedside, courtesy of music retailer Jean Lier. Frank Sinatra swept in, grilled Hull condescendingly on his credentials and told Davis he would be staying at the singer’s Palm Springs house when he was discharged. That took place on or about Nov. 27. Davis left Community Hospital wearing an eyepatch and with sacks of fan mail. He promised to return sometime to help raise money for the facility. “He said he would do it, but when he left, we said, ‘He’ll forget,’” hospital administrator Virginia Henderson told Haygood. But four years later, he kept his promise. A new Community Hospital had been built, on 17th Street and Western Avenue, but new equipment was needed. The National Orange Show’s Swing Auditorium was the benefit’s venue. Davis had performed there in 1953, the year before his accident, as part of the Will Mastin Trio. Davis had returned to the stage within weeks of his accident, wearing a prosthetic eye or an eye patch, and was now a bigger star than ever. It was Nov. 15, 1958, and 7,500 tickets were sold at $2, $3 and, for the big spenders, $5. Many women wore fur. Hull was there in a tux. Henderson introduced Davis, who had brought three buses from Hollywood with an eclectic array of performers. They included James Garner, Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Shirley MacLaine, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Danny Thomas and, for some vaudeville flavor, an acrobatic act named Nita and Pepe. And Judy Garland. Introduced by Davis as “the world’s greatest entertainer,” Garland wore a woman’s tuxedo, sat on a stool and, egged on by Davis, performed eight songs, including “Swanee,” “The Bells are Ringing” and “Over the Rainbow.” Henderson recalled to Haygood that Garland wouldn’t go onstage without vodka, so the hospital administrator got a security officer to go to a liquor store. Garland had a flask handy. “She gave a performance like you wouldn’t believe. She sang one song after the other,” Henderson said. “But she was higher than a tick.”
Sammy was great, very sweet reactions. That said, it isn’t really true that black entertainers seldom presented in classy and upscale ways back in the day. Lots of black artists really knew how to wear tuxes and gowns, how to flirt and banter, and how to carry themselves with dignity and class. Compare people like Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Count Basie and Dorothy Dandridge to today’s hiphop scene!
I went to a college Halloween party in 1987, and this 20+ year oldv guy walked up to me in a cowboy hat and boots. The real ones, not the ones people wear for show. He removed his hat and said, "Hello, young lady. My name is ___ ___ . Please tell me yours. Welcome to my party. Let me show you where the chili, etc." He asked me to two-step around the bonfire later, where his hand is gently placed on my waist, and my hand held gently in his other. I melted, no other college guy behaved like this. Was it real or a dream? It was real all right. Married 35 years this year. ❤
It was a different time. More men and women dressed well, worked hard, and mostly had high standards. Of course, there wasn't social media to publicize everyone's mistakes, either.
You haven''t really experienced Sammy until you've seen him dance. There are several videos out there, including one with Gregory Hines and Sammy. When Sammy retired, Gregory took the crown as the best tap dancer, and this video was from a tribute to Sammy. Sammy had cancer at the time and was not far from losing that battle, but he joined Gregory on stage and still had enough tricks up his sleeve to show the new kid how it was done.
Wait until you find out about the incredible life, magnificent voice and numerous achievements of Mr Paul Robeson, and what he suffered for his steadfast commitment to the human rights of black folk
Well, it wasnt an accident he was run off the road by the mob as a warning for dating the wrong woman. A variation of the story is that the mob was going to kill him but frank got them to spare his life but take a pound of flesh so to speak and they took his eye.
So the woman in the other car in Santa Barbara was a mob hitwoman who could take orders from Frank Sinatra in 1957.....color me a little bit skeptical on that one. @@qosmo8
Anthony Newley wrote the songs for two hit Broadway shows and later the songs for the classic movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (not all today's pale remakes) people still love (Candyman, which Sammy also made his hit). Sammy was a super multitalented dancer, singer, actor, comic, and impressionist despite all the prejudice and segregation EVERYWHERE in America then.
Watch Sammy with good friend Bill Cosby on an episode of "The Cosby Show" where Sammy's character spoke so eloquently, but Claire discovered he couldn't read. In real life Sammy due to working as a child performer with his father & uncle, couldn't read anything but comic books until he entered the Army.
Amazing voice. The Candy Man was a major hit for him in the early 70s. But the best was THE RAT PACK. That was a trio that could never be reproduced.... Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra.
I think you would enjoy the live version of "The birth of the Blues" and the video of 'It Ain't Necessarily So" as Sportin' Life In Porgy and Bess. Unlimited talent and fascinating life story.
Sammy was part of the so called "Rat Pack" which included such greats as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby. This was back in the day when blacks weren't normally allowed to perform in a white establishment. Yet the guys were so charmed by him that they took him under wing and let everyone know he is one of us like it or not and he was excepted. This helped break the old mold and open doors for other up and coming black performers. I grew up listening to all this music.
Sammy - the most UNDERRATED entertainer is show buziness!!!!! Sadly he was during the Civil Right Era when he was underappreciated by PTB[powers that be] - Sinatra & Dean championed him - he was a Michael Jackson before MJ was even thought about!!! a child performer - there are videos out there of himas a child entertainer - dancing!!!! amazing man!!!!!!! He IS a GOAT if ever there was!!!! He was married to May from 1960-1968 - she was white & that was basically NOT done at that time!!!
This is from a fundraiser show starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as well as Sammy. The emcee was Johnny Carson. There is an awesome bit with Sammy impersonating a lot of singers ... just so talented. Also.... there are 2 orchestras backing them... the Count Basie Orchestra and then the other one conducted by young Quincy Jones. Very much worth checking out some more from this show.
He literally from when he was a kid, grew up in Vaudeville. Pure entertainer. That is why his generation of entertainers were just the best. Sammy, what can I say, no word can ever do him justice.
Britt! Do yourself and all of a favor and do a special episode. You have been talking about needing to watch an entire episode of All in the Family. Sammy Davis Jr. was on an AMAZING episode of AITF. In fact, he got the longest laugh in the history of television. Watch the whole thing! Girlfriend, it’ll change your life!
Check out the Flip Wilson Show, Sammy Davis does a skit called (here comes the judge) on it, plus Flip is comedic genius in his own right.
The greatest entertainer of my lifetime. There may be better singers better actors better dancers better comedian. But this man was all of those and more he was an ENTERTAINER. No one entertained an audience any better than Sammy. I know you love a good long post but I think you’ll appreciate the story. When I was 14 my mother took me to se Sammy Davis Jr at the old Walter Theatre in Los Angeles. I had NO interest in this but my dad was out of town and my mom said you’re going with me.made me put on a dress everything. Well Britt I’m just like you for two hours with no intermission this man and a live orchestra blew the roof off of this place and I was speechless. I just kept looking at my mom with my jaw on the ground. You could feel this man’s command of the room. We literally were hanging on his next word or note. So the night flys by and he’s done two encores and we’re like sad it’s over. He grabs the mike goes to the front of the stage says something like (this was 40 some years ago) folks it’s Saturday night I’m home I’m sleeping in my bed tonight and I’m here with my good friends and neighbors I’m going to throw the boys in the band a little extra green see if they might play a bit longer y’all wanna hang out? Well the place goes wild standing 5 min ovation. No plan no charts for the orchestra. He took requests from the audience, sung old broadway tunes he loved, did spot on speaking and singing impressions literally an extra 90 min of entertainment completely off the cuff. Well from that night on I never missed Sammy on record on TV and even got to see him one last time in Vegas less than a year before he left us. This man was the best entertainer of his and maybe any time.
He was such a classy man and a beautiful soul. ❤❤❤❤
One thing you may not know about Sammy...in 1954 he suffered a major car accident in Santa Barbara, and a decorative feature on the Cadillac he was driving took out his left eye. He spent the rest of his spectacular and lengthy career using a glass eye. Not the most difficult thing he had to overcome in 1950's America, but it was a great indication of his tenacity and grit, that he could go through that, and still wow people on stage every night.
You failed to mention his face was crushed. Knocked his teeth out so wore dentures the rest of his life.
Very true, but almost every artist has extensive work done on their mouth, including crowns, caps and bridgework. Not many lose an eye.@@1perfectpitch
After the accident Frank Sinatra stayed by his side in the hospital & covered all Sammy's expenses.
I've been lucky to have lived in Vegas the last 50+ years. When guys like Sammy, Frank, Elvis, Dean ruled. I've seen them all. However, Sammy was the best. He could do it all, sing, dance, tap, joke, storytelling, he pasted multiple instruments. He was a perfectionist. A entertainer- performer. Yet a gracious, generos kind man. R. I. P. Sammy.
@@1perfectpitch wow, never knew bout that part.
Sammy was so elegant and the epitome of cool. Loved him and Dean Martin especially from the Rat Pack.
Before there was Michael Jackson there was Sammy Davis jr. Started of his career as a child star sing, dance, comedian and act. One of the first black superstar. Discovered performing on the street by Frank Sinatra who brought him to Hollywood. Check out his movie "Anna Lucasta” the film stars Eartha Kitt, (another singer, actress and black superstar) Sammy Davis Jr., and Henry Scott1. I think it's now showing on TUBI.
Nobody can match him -- truly on of a kind!
"Sammy Davis Jr. Tap Dancing - Italy 1962" - See a master of his craft, at the top of his talent, displayed on a small platform surrounded by a Jazz Band. PDC? Sammy will move to the front of the line.
Sammy Davis Jr.: Child "performer".....actor.....singer.....comedian.....tap dancer.....drummer.....talk show host.....entertainment legend.
We don’t have entertainers like this today. He was a singer, a dancer and actor. He was also a great comedian. You need to see him do “Here come da judge.”
Yes TV has changed a lot for sure
His appearances on TV were legendary. A comedic judge on Laugh-In, sitting in Archie Bunker's chair, visiting "childhood friend" Carol Burnett, ....
Mrs. Britt should watch Sammy doing impersonations. He sometimes got into trouble because colored persons weren't supposed to "play white", even if just for laughs.
For a unique moment, watch the Legendary Drum Battle of Davis Jr + Krupa + Rich.
We used to imitate him doing "here come da judge" when we were kids!
@@fiddiehacked Oh yes
Watch the rat pack, having fun on stage.
The word you're looking for just before 2 minutes is "mannerly." A gentleman has manners.
As an entertainer, he was probably the most complete package there ever was: singer, dancer, actor, comedian, impressionist--and nothing less than superb in all those disciplines.
And, yes, as a black man who was also a kind of cultural superstar in an era before, and then overlapping with, the civil rights revolution of the 1950s and 60s, he was also, along with a handful of others (Harry Belafonte, Sidney Portier, James Baldwin), burdened with being a great exemplar of black excellence.
Burdened because the very fact of their achievements, inspirational though it was, often was also used by racists to dismiss the reality of the tremendous barriers he & they had been obliged to overcome to reach that place of extraordinary accomplishment, and to appear to have done so in such an effortlessly elegant way. And they all took some friendly fire for that, despite their very real contributions to the freedom struggle.
It must have been at times very hard being on that particular firing line, in those days. But he never really let the hardness show, nor sour him on the worthiness of the struggle, nor dim his brilliance as a performing artist. And for all that we can all be eternally grateful.
Britt, there is a TH-cam video of Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy singing S’Wonderful on the Ed Sullivan show with both of them doing some scatting.
He was definitely the greatest talent of all time, in my opinion. He was also a great tap dancer as well as one of the funniest entertainers. So well rounded and multi-talented.
I don't know when this particular performance was taped, but the song was a hit at about the same time the Civil Rights Act was passed in the mid-1960s. Though he was an amazing star at that time, he was still not allowed to stay in some of the hotels where he was performing. "With your kind permission" was likely a term he had to use as a youth and young man. This is the first song, I ever heard Sammy Davis sing. I think I was about ten year old. His voice was so clear and powerful! I was a fan right from the start.
Any of the "Rat pack" are well worth watching or listening too.
Sammy Davis was one of the best entertainers ever. There was nothing he didn't do very well.
He even was one of the fastest cowboy quick draw artists.
You are correct about his demeanor, though. He's one of those ppl you just know are great ppl. One of his best friends, Dean Martin , was my most favorite singer.
Thank you for these Sammy Davis jr reactions. He never seems to get the recognition today he deserves
Mr. Entertainment. Sammy Davis Jr was a class act in movies, on stage and in music. One third of the famous Rat Pack, alongside Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, they dominated Hollywood in the fifties and sixties. They don't make em like him no more.
You missed two members of the Rat Pack - Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. There were 5 members, not 3.
Sammy Davis, Jr. is a category all by himself -actor singer dancer. He had a voice like a canon.
He had CLASS!!!
For my money, Sammy Davis Jr was the best all around entertainer ever... Sing, dance, act, he could do it all...
"Yes I Can" was his first autobiography, written in 1965. It was eye-opening for this teenager of the 60s. A great read!
He was not only a singer, but singer stylist. And he did not manipulate hair, he manipulated the words and the feelings of those words to the hearer.🤩😊
Now,," What Kind of Fool Am I "and "I Got To Be Me"
I’ll check out out!
One of my all time favorite performances. A classic.
The immense amount of hardships Davis dealt with was staggering. For some reason he hasn’t gotten the respect his historical and talent deserves
Sammy was one of THE MOST beloved persons in the whole country, back in the day. Humble, self deprecating, funny, talented, soft spoken and geniunely talented. Lost an eye in an automobile accident, in 1954. THE ONLY TIME in his life that he wasn't wearing his lucky mezuzah, a gift from Eddie Cantor. One of the reasons for his eventual conversion to Judaism.
Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He could do it all: sing, dance, act. He started as a small child in vaudeville. He was also very involved in the civil rights movement.
Sammy is simply a class act.
Sammy spoke like men who come a courting back in the day.
I bought an album of him singing old country-western songs. He was versatile in song many ways. Singing, dancing, acting. He's one that I could watch for hours and never pick up my phone.
My favorite Sammy songs are Birth of The Blues, Hey There, Because of You, and My Funny Valentine. These are just some of the songs from my favorite album of his titled Starring Sammy Davis Jr. It was the only one that showed him him on the cover wearing his eye patch. I grew up with Sammy, Nat Cole, Frank, & Dean influence in my house thanks to my parents. I was a teenager in the 60’s and 70’s so was lucky to have had that influence as well as the 80’s, and 90’s. Thanks to my parents I also got a good dose of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Love that you appreciate the era and hope you keep going down this road.
Please see him tap dancing. He's stellar!
Watch the clip of Sammy Davis Jr. and Anthony Newley singing a medley of Newley songs... thanks for reminding me of how good SDj was at everything.... and Tony Newley is an underappreciated songwriter.
A great dancer, singer, and actor. The real deal. He was born in the business.
Look for videos of him tap dancing when he was young. Incredible!!
Sammy was always my favourite from the rat pack. Love him. Another beautiful ballad singer , imo, is Matt Monroe. His version of Maria is wonderful. Also, Scott Walker singing Joanna.
Greatest Entertainer of all time.
The Roar of the Grease Paint The Smell of the Crowd is my favorite musical. Anthony Newley who wrote the show and all the songs as well as staring in the show was a genius. He also wrote all the songs for the movie "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". He and Sammy Davis were very good friends. Sammy Davis had his biggest hit with "The Candy Man" from that movie. You can find on TH-cam the Bert Bacharach TV Special from 1972 where Sammy Davis and Anthony Newley perform together.
Sidney Poitier and Louis Armstrong and Sammy Davis Jr. and many more...broke through the threshold for future generations of people...just saying:)
Probably the greatest all-around entertainer that ever lived. Vocally, his placement is IMPECCABLE! It was hearing Sammy on the MDA Telethon that was one of my greatest memories as a kid as well as a major influence on my own vocal training.
You have to be aware of Sammy Davis began as a child in Vaudeville as part of his fathers act. He was like 2 or 3 so to say he was born to it...
I was born in 61. Watched a lot of the rat pack. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr. I will forever be grateful to be born in that era. I love Sammy Davis Jr. my heart is full of joy watching you react to Sammy Davis Jr.
This beautiful, yes, charming, gentlemanly way of speaking comes from men who are both humble, and know and share their own talents. They are gracious. And yes, men like that, they get a free pass in this life as far as I'm concrrned. Accidently burn the house down? I'll help them rebuild it. These men still exist, they are just rare. The gentleman he mentioned, who wrote thus song, Anthony Newly, had a beautiful way of speaking.
He could do it ALL. An amazing talented man ❤
Look up MIchael Jackson's Tribute to Sammy when he was dying of cancer. hs 60th anniversary gala. Michael Wrote the song YOU WERE THERE....ad sang it only this one time...and one of his greatests...
he was hanging out with Dean Martin, Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, "the Rat Pack." There is a black and white 90 minute video of a fundraiser, called "Sinatra Spectacular". Johnny Carson stepped in for Joey Bishop. Like 1965. It's real "live" show business...
Sammy was the consumers entertainer. No one else like him. He could sing, dance, act, play several musical instruments, did impersonations, could be very funny,and was in musicals on Broadway. He had a long and industrious csreer.
Please check out these 2 videos......."Bang Bang" from the movie "Robin and The 7 Hoods" and "Birth of The Blues" ( use video with blue background and floating staircase)
Sammy was just that guy who could do it all. Oh, also watch the "Tap dance off" scene video from the movie "Tap" with.Gregory Hines.......you will see several of the old timers tapping.
Had a good friend that saw him in Las Vegas, years ago. Told me that Sammy Davis Jr. would go around and play every instrument in the orchestra.
Artists(actors, musicians, dancers, song writers, etc.)worked hard back then. They knew that they were representing us (black folk)! And they knew that everytime they stepped out on that stage that they wanted to do represent us well!!!😊
He was beloved as a person and for his sublime artistry, especially in Australia and England.
Anthony Newley, who wrote this song, also wrote, what IMO is one of Sammy's greatest performances, "What Kind Of Fool Am I". Anthony Newley wrote the children's song which was Sammy's biggest hit "Candy Man", and "Feelin' Good", which has been covered many times, most notably by Nina Simone. Sammy also had big hits with "I Gotta Be Me", "That Old Black Magic" and "Mr. Bojangles. Sammy was perhaps the greatest performer to ever hit the stage. He was a great tap dancer, actor, and could play just about every instrument in a big band orchestra.
There is a video of Sammy Davis singing and dancing when he is about 6 or 7. He’s singing I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal, You. He was a born performer and worked his entire life.
As to the social grace and politeness of the day..... We lost it. I am old , so I still do it. As to Mr. Davis,.... Absolute talent and class!
He appeared on an episode of "I Dream of Jeanie" where he performed "That old Black Magic" that showcased all his performing skills. If you can find that it's worth doing.
Britney, you need to find his story. He also has one eye. He was also the Fastest Draw with a Gun in real life. Go see him as a 4 year old dancing. He had a bid head.
Britt, watch the Cannonball Run. Sammy and Dean Martin. They are funny. Well the whole movie is funny, you know what I mean. Just watch it.
Sammy was the real deal. I saw him live in the late 1960's at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles. (The same place where Robert Kennedy was killed). His show was perfection in every way. He was a performer who had you from the moment he walked out. You were riveted the entire time. There was nothing he couldn't do. He was the consummate entertainer.
What a classy talented man. We miss this talent everyday.
Im 76..loved sammy....he was a master of many talentsj
I love you Brett I could watch you all day long. I love your bubbly personality and I love the way that when you talk about things you become a part of it, you’re so enjoyable thank you so much.
A true Master 😊
Mr Davis was a force of nature. Overcame many hardships and challenges and excelled at so many things. A true rennaissance man.
Well said!
Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco, but that was only metaphorical. Sammy Davis Jr. left his eye in San Bernardino, and that was all too real.
Departing Las Vegas for a Hollywood recording session, Davis was driving through the Cajon Pass on Route 66 when he came upon a strange sight. A car had stopped in front of him, apparently in preparation for turning around at Kendall Drive.
Davis, who was new to driving and not very good at it, plowed his new lime green Cadillac convertible into the car. His face bounced off the cone in the middle of the steering wheel.
It was just after 7 a.m. on Nov. 19, 1954, 65 years ago.
“I had no control,” Davis said later. “I was just there, totally consumed by it, unable to believe I was really in an automobile crash.”
This was a life-changing moment in the life of the 28-year-old nightclub entertainer, one that also turned San Bernardino upside down not once, but twice.
To piece together what happened, I read relevant portions of Wil Haygood’s “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr.” as well as coverage in The Sun retrieved for me by colleague Joe Blackstock.
The two women in the other car were injured but survived. Davis and his valet, Charlie Head, were transported to County Hospital, which was for the indigent. Emergency personnel merely saw two black men.
County Hospital was full. Davis lay on a gurney as word began to spread as to who the bloody patient was. A Sun reporter went to the hospital - “Sammy Davis Jr. Suffers Eye Injury in S.B. Mishap,” the next-day headline read - and wire services reported the accident.
By 10:30 a.m., Davis had been transported to Community Hospital, at Fourth Street and Arrowhead Avenue, and the city’s ear and eye surgeon, Fred Hull, had been called. Community was full too, but the head duty nurse cannily made room for the celebrity by discharging a couple of nobodies.
Davis pal Jeff Chandler, an actor, rushed to San Bernardino to ensure his friend got the best care even out in the sticks. So did Jerry Lewis, a decade before “The Disorderly Orderly,” and Janet Leigh. Heady stuff.
Hull examined his patient and decided Davis’ left eye was so badly damaged it would have to be removed. Davis was more concerned about his injured leg, because as a dancer, he needed both legs more than he needed both eyes. Hull assured him his leg would be fine.
At 6 p.m., Davis was taken to surgery - in the aging hospital, this meant wheeling him outdoors to get to the surgery area - which was over in 45 minutes.
By now the hospital switchboard was jammed with calls from friends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Eartha Kitt. Flowers arrived. Visitors included Tony Curtis, Ava Gardner, Jack Benny and Eddie Cantor. Cantor is said to have slipped a Star of David around the neck of Davis, who not long after converted to Judaism.
On the other end of the social rung, the hospital’s few black employees, many in the kitchen, regarded Davis with awe and concern.
A nightclub owner friend flew from Philadelphia, said he would pay all the hospital expenses and told the staff not to skimp.
“Extra Jell-O for Mr. Davis, stat!” Just kidding.
The accident, needless to say, was terrible, and Davis spent much of his hospital stay in darkness, head swaddled in bandages, listening to the radiator hiss and wondering if he had a future in show business. At his request, a hi-fi stereo was installed at his bedside, courtesy of music retailer Jean Lier.
Frank Sinatra swept in, grilled Hull condescendingly on his credentials and told Davis he would be staying at the singer’s Palm Springs house when he was discharged.
That took place on or about Nov. 27. Davis left Community Hospital wearing an eyepatch and with sacks of fan mail. He promised to return sometime to help raise money for the facility.
“He said he would do it, but when he left, we said, ‘He’ll forget,’” hospital administrator Virginia Henderson told Haygood.
But four years later, he kept his promise.
A new Community Hospital had been built, on 17th Street and Western Avenue, but new equipment was needed. The National Orange Show’s Swing Auditorium was the benefit’s venue. Davis had performed there in 1953, the year before his accident, as part of the Will Mastin Trio.
Davis had returned to the stage within weeks of his accident, wearing a prosthetic eye or an eye patch, and was now a bigger star than ever.
It was Nov. 15, 1958, and 7,500 tickets were sold at $2, $3 and, for the big spenders, $5. Many women wore fur. Hull was there in a tux. Henderson introduced Davis, who had brought three buses from Hollywood with an eclectic array of performers.
They included James Garner, Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Shirley MacLaine, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Danny Thomas and, for some vaudeville flavor, an acrobatic act named Nita and Pepe.
And Judy Garland.
Introduced by Davis as “the world’s greatest entertainer,” Garland wore a woman’s tuxedo, sat on a stool and, egged on by Davis, performed eight songs, including “Swanee,” “The Bells are Ringing” and “Over the Rainbow.”
Henderson recalled to Haygood that Garland wouldn’t go onstage without vodka, so the hospital administrator got a security officer to go to a liquor store. Garland had a flask handy. “She gave a performance like you wouldn’t believe. She sang one song after the other,” Henderson said. “But she was higher than a tick.”
This type of performance by Sammy Davis Jr. is what makes him a special entertainer.
Need to check out Harry Belafonte: Jump In The Line, Jamaica Farewell or Day O
This is back when Men were Men and didn’t apologize for it! When men were gentlemen! My opinion!
Check Out Sammy Davis Jr On Arsenio Hall Singing Time After Time ❤
Loved Sammy. RIP Master Entertainer.
My parents took me to see Sammy at Sahara Tahoe for my 21st birthday. The bill was Sammy Davis Jr and Feida Payne. What a show!!
One of the greats!! I admire him so much!!😊
Sammy was great, very sweet reactions. That said, it isn’t really true that black entertainers seldom presented in classy and upscale ways back in the day. Lots of black artists really knew how to wear tuxes and gowns, how to flirt and banter, and how to carry themselves with dignity and class. Compare people like Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Count Basie and Dorothy Dandridge to today’s hiphop scene!
Sammy the Great.
I was a kid when he was big. He would be a great subject for a movie biopic. The only problem would be that no one has the chops to do the part.
I went to a college Halloween party in 1987, and this 20+ year oldv guy walked up to me in a cowboy hat and boots. The real ones, not the ones people wear for show. He removed his hat and said, "Hello, young lady. My name is ___ ___ . Please tell me yours. Welcome to my party. Let me show you where the chili, etc." He asked me to two-step around the bonfire later, where his hand is gently placed on my waist, and my hand held gently in his other. I melted, no other college guy behaved like this. Was it real or a dream? It was real all right. Married 35 years this year. ❤
It was a different time. More men and women dressed well, worked hard, and mostly had high standards. Of course, there wasn't social media to publicize everyone's mistakes, either.
Yes ,, Charming !.. and sincere.
Amazing performer.
You haven''t really experienced Sammy until you've seen him dance. There are several videos out there, including one with Gregory Hines and Sammy. When Sammy retired, Gregory took the crown as the best tap dancer, and this video was from a tribute to Sammy. Sammy had cancer at the time and was not far from losing that battle, but he joined Gregory on stage and still had enough tricks up his sleeve to show the new kid how it was done.
Wait until you find out about the incredible life, magnificent voice and numerous achievements of Mr Paul Robeson, and what he suffered for his steadfast commitment to the human rights of black folk
Check out Paul’s version of Old Man River from 1936’ Show Boat
Maybe get a copy of his autobiography? Amazing story. Inspirational to not quit.
He was in a terrible car accident in 1955 and lost his left eye.
Well, it wasnt an accident he was run off the road by the mob as a warning for dating the wrong woman. A variation of the story is that the mob was going to kill him but frank got them to spare his life but take a pound of flesh so to speak and they took his eye.
So the woman in the other car in Santa Barbara was a mob hitwoman who could take orders from Frank Sinatra in 1957.....color me a little bit skeptical on that one. @@qosmo8
Britt, Sammy Davis, Jr. was involved in entertainment as a very young person. If you do a search you will find some old footage of him then!
Anthony Newley wrote the songs for two hit Broadway shows and later the songs for the classic movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (not all today's pale remakes) people still love (Candyman, which Sammy also made his hit). Sammy was a super multitalented dancer, singer, actor, comic, and impressionist despite all the prejudice and segregation EVERYWHERE in America then.
His Rhythm of Life song and dance number in the movie musical, Sweet Charity.
I remember him also in Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In “Here come the Judge”😂😂😂. Sock it to me!🤣
I loved the old crooners, I got it come from my grandmother. She loved to watch him sing and dance. Another favorite is "The Candy Man:.
He needs to be in the PDC!!!
🤔🤔🤔
Watch Sammy with good friend Bill Cosby on an episode of "The Cosby Show" where Sammy's character spoke so eloquently, but Claire discovered he couldn't read. In real life Sammy due to working as a child performer with his father & uncle, couldn't read anything but comic books until he entered the Army.
Amazing voice. The Candy Man was a major hit for him in the early 70s. But the best was THE RAT PACK. That was a trio that could never be reproduced.... Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra.
You need to listen to some Nat King Cole he should be a part of your club.
Greatest entertainer, ever.
My mother saw him Live many times & said he was the best concert she ever attended
Sammy was a class act all around.
I was lucky got to see Sammy in concert in Vegas. Out of the rat pack he and Dean Martin was my favorites.
I think you would enjoy the live version of "The birth of the Blues" and the video of 'It Ain't Necessarily So" as Sportin' Life In Porgy and Bess. Unlimited talent and fascinating life story.
Sammy was part of the so called "Rat Pack" which included such greats as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby. This was back in the day when blacks weren't normally allowed to perform in a white establishment. Yet the guys were so charmed by him that they took him under wing and let everyone know he is one of us like it or not and he was excepted. This helped break the old mold and open doors for other up and coming black performers. I grew up listening to all this music.
You look amazing Britt !!! :) 🥰🥰
Thank you!!
CLASS Something sadly lacking for several years now😢
As a side note - If you ever have the time - Watch the 1960 version of Ocean's 11.....Some singers can act also .... just sayin'
Sammy - the most UNDERRATED entertainer is show buziness!!!!! Sadly he was during the Civil Right Era when he was underappreciated by PTB[powers that be] - Sinatra & Dean championed him - he was a Michael Jackson before MJ was even thought about!!! a child performer - there are videos out there of himas a child entertainer - dancing!!!! amazing man!!!!!!! He IS a GOAT if ever there was!!!! He was married to May from 1960-1968 - she was white & that was basically NOT done at that time!!!