Davis, Sammy, Jr.

Davis, Sammy, Jr. , dynamic American singer, actor, and dancer; b. N.Y., Dec. 8, 1925; d. Beverly Hills, Calif., May 16, 1990. A nightclub entertainer with a background in vaudeville who could sing, dance, act, play several instruments, and do impressions, Davis found success in recordings, film, television, and personal appearances during a career that lasted virtually his entire life. As an African-American, he broke down racial restrictions while simultaneously challenging assumptions about what a black performer should be. As such he was both a throwback to an earlier time in entertainment and a precursor of a less race-conscious future.

Davis's parents, Sammy Davis Sr. and Elvera Sanchez Davis, were members of Holiday in Dixieland, a

DAVIS

vaudeville troupe led by Will Mastin. Davis began appearing onstage with the troupe when scarcely out of infancy. His parents separated when he was two, and he remained with his father in the act, which diminished during the Depression to a trio of himself, his father, and Mastin. He made his film debut in the short …