Davis, Sammy, Jr.
(Samuel George), 1925-1990, American entertainer, b. Harlem, New York City,
N.Y. Both of Davis’s parents were dancers who performed on
vaudeville; Davis began performing at age three along with his father and
dancer Will Mastin as the Will Mastin Trio. After serving in the Army during
World War II, he rejoined the Mastin Trio on the West Coast, where the act
became a major success in nightclubs in the early ‘50s; at the same
time, he began a career as a singer and actor, appearing on Broadway in 1956
in the musical, Mr. Wonderful. In 1959, he joined the Rat
Pack, the infamous group of performers led by Frank Sinatra that successfully appeared in
Las Vegas for several seasons. Davis broke the color barrier at many
nightclubs, including in Vegas and at New York’s Copacabana (1964).
That same year, he starred on Broadway in Golden Boy, which
ran for two years. Davis was active in the civil rights movement of the
'60s, but stoked controversy by supporting Richard Nixon's presidency. As a recording
artist, he achieved his only #1 success with the novelty song “The
Candy Man” (1972). Davis’s personal life was marked with
trauma, including a 1954 car accident that led to the loss of his left eye.
He also stoked controversy by converting to Judaism in 1961 and marrying the
white actress May Britt (1960; div. 1968). In his later years, Davis became
a beloved performer whose appeal transcended race and culture.
See his autobiographies (1972; 1990; both with J. and B. Boyar); memoir by T.
Davis and N. B. Pierce (2014); biographies by G. Fishgall (2011), W. Haygood
(2014); studies by M. Birkbeck (2009); reader by G. Early (2011).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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