Sammy Davis Jr.

Celebrity

  • Birth Name: Samuel George Davis Jr.
  • Birth Place: New York, NY
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 12/08/1925, Sagittarius
  • Date of Death: 05/16/1990
  • Profession: Dancer; singer; actor
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Sammy Davis Jr. Fast Facts:
  • Was part of his father and Will Mastin's vaudeville act at 3 years old. 
  • Never went to school, but was occasionally tutored; received reading lessons from a black sergeant when he was in the Army's Special Services. 
  • Made film debut at 8 years old when he starred in the 1933 movie short Rufus Jones for President.   
  • Metronome magazine dubbed him Most Outstanding New Personality in 1946 and awarded him Record of the Year honors for his version of "The Way You Look Tonight."
  • Involved in a major car accident in 1954, in which he lost his left eye.  
  • Appeared on Broadway for the first time in the 1956 musical Mr. Wonderful.
  • Was a member of the infamous Rat Pack, headlining Las Vegas shows and starring in films with cohorts Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.  
  • Had a best-selling autobiography in 1965 with Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis Jr.; wrote another tome Why Me? in 1980 and posthumously published Sammy: The Autobiography of Sammy Davis Jr. in 2000.
  • In 1966 had a short-run variety show on NBC called The Sammy Davis Jr. Show
  • Has received numerous awards, including the NAACP's Spingarn Medal in 1968 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 1987, and was inducted into the NAACP's Hall of Fame in 1989.
     
  • Sammy Davis Jr. Relationships:
  • Tracey Davis - Daughter
  • Ramona James - Sister
  • May Britt - Ex-wife
  • Elvira Sanchez - Mother
  • Rosa Davis - Grandmother
  • Manny Davis - Son
  • Altovise Gore - Wife
  • Samuel George Davis Sr. - Father
  • Jeff Davis - Son
  • Mark Sidney Davis - Son
  • Loray White - Ex-wife
  • Suzette Davis - Sister
  • Sammy Davis Jr. Awards:
  • 1989 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
  • 1977 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
  • 1956 Emmy: Best Specialty Act - Single or Group - Nominee
  • 1965 Tony: Actor (Musical) - Nominee
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