Samuel George Davis
Sammy Davis Jr. gained fame as a member of the Rat Pack alongside Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and others, performing in Las Vegas and starring in films like Ocean’s Eleven 1960. A quadruple threat who sang, danced, acted, and played instruments, he scored a #1 hit with The Candy Man in 1972. He converted to Judaism and faced racism despite his success, dying from throat cancer at 64 in 1990.
Sammy Davis Jr. by the numbers — life, work, and family.
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Sammy Davis Jr. — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Billed as Silent Sammy, the Dancing Midget at age four, Sammy Davis Jr. was born on December 8, 1925 in Harlem, New York City to dancer Elvera Sanchez and vaudeville star Sammy Davis Sr. He never attended school, teaching himself through performing from age five.
His father was African-American and his mother had Cuban and African-American ancestry; he later described himself as a one-eyed Jewish Negro.
In 1956, he achieved a breakthrough starring in the Broadway musical Mr. Wonderful for 400 performances. He joined the Rat Pack in the early 1960s, appearing with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop in Ocean’s Eleven 1960. In 1964 he starred in the Broadway musical Golden Boy, earning a Tony nomination for Best Actor.
He scored a #1 Billboard hit with The Candy Man in 1972. He also appeared in films like The Cannonball Run 1981 and television shows including Charlie’s Angels. After 1970, his career slowed, but he continued performing.
He married black showgirl Loray White in 1958 out of fear for his life after threats over his affair with Kim Novak; the marriage lasted a few months and was annulled. In 1960 he married Swedish actress May Britt, an interracial union then banned in 30 states; they had a daughter, Tracey, and adopted two sons, Mark and Jeff.
He later married Altovise Davis in 1970, adopting a son, Manny, in 1989. He struggled with alcoholism and cocaine addiction, announcing he had overcome both in 1989.
Sammy Davis Jr. broke racial barriers in Las Vegas in the 1950s and 1960s, where he was initially forced to stay in segregated hotels. Frank Sinatra used his clout to lift that ban. He received the Spingarn Medal, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and Kennedy Center Honors.
He was posthumously inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2005. In Las Vegas, the Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza was named in his honor. He is remembered as the greatest living entertainer in the world and a versatile performer.
Browse the complete filmography of Sammy Davis Jr. — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Sammy Davis Jr.'s bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Sammy Davis Jr. — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Sammy Davis Jr. — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Being a Star Has Made It Possible for Me to Get Insulted in Places Where the Average Negro Could Never Hope to Get Insulted.
I’m Colored, Jewish and Puerto Rican. When I Move into a Neighborhood, I Wipe It Out!
You Have to Be Able to Look Back at Your Own Life and Say, Yeah, That Was Fun. the Only Person I Ever Hurt Was Myself and Even That I Did to the Minimum. If You Can Do That and You’re Still Functioning, You’re the Luckiest Person in the World.
I’m 64 Years Old, but I Feel I’ve Lived the Life of a Person at 164.
Little-known facts about Sammy Davis Jr. — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Despite being 64 at the time of his death, he was survived by his mother Elvera Sanchez 1905-2000 and his grandmother Luisa who died in 1995 at 112.
He lost his left eye in a car crash while on his way to record the theme song for the Tony Curtis film Six Bridges to Cross 1955. He wore an eyepatch for some time after, but Humphrey Bogart convinced him to remove it, saying he didn’t want to be known as the kid with the eyepatch.
Shortly after his death on May 16, 1990, the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip turned off their exterior lights for 10 minutes in tribute. An outdoor theater in Las Vegas is now named after him: Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza.
He and the other Rat Pack members were banned from Marilyn Monroe’s funeral by Joe DiMaggio.
Shortly before his death, surgeons removed his voice box in a laryngectomy, but the cancer had already spread.
Elvis Presley gave him a black sapphire ring, saying it was the biggest black star he had seen, so he gave it to the biggest black star he knew.
A contract was allegedly put out on his life because of his interracial affair with Kim Novak, with threats to lose his other eye. Frank Sinatra reportedly intervened to save him. He married black showgirl Loray White out of fear for his life, a marriage that lasted a few months before annulment; she received a $10,000 settlement and a Cadillac.
He was the childhood idol of director Tim Burton, who wanted to cast him as the title character in Beetlejuice 1988, but Warner Bros. refused.
After John Wayne left the stage at the 1979 Academy Awards, he hugged him. He later regretted hugging him so hard due to Wayne’s fragile health, but was told that Duke would not have missed that hug for anything.
According to fast-draw artist Bob Munden, he was the second-fastest draw in Hollywood, trailing only Jerry Lewis. He presented Munden with a customized Colt Peacemaker after they appeared together on The Mike Douglas Show.
Always articulate, he never attended school; performing since age five, he was largely self-taught.
During his childhood as a vaudeville entertainer, he was billed as Silent Sammy, the Dancing Midget to get around child labor laws, and walked around backstage with a rubber cigar and a woman on each arm.
Posthumously inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2005.
According to Frank Sinatra Jr., black performers like him were initially not allowed to stay in major Las Vegas casinos despite performing there. Frank Sinatra used his leverage to get the ban lifted, creating equality in Las Vegas.
Announced he had overcome alcoholism and cocaine addiction in 1989.
Filmed a cameo for the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever 1971, but the scene was cut; it can be seen on the DVD.
Died the same day as Jim Henson.
Had a relationship with Kim Novak and converted to Judaism in the 1950s.
There was a falling out between him and the Kennedys after his marriage to May Britt; Joseph Kennedy advised his sons to avoid him due to the controversy over interracial marriage. He later switched political allegiance from Democrat to Republican and supported Richard Nixon.
Once took Donald Rumsfeld to visit Elvis Presley after one of his concerts in Las Vegas.
He was only four when he joined his family’s vaudeville act.
Starred in the 1964 Broadway musical Golden Boy, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor Musical. He lost to Zero Mostel. Golden Boy featured then-unknown talents like Lola Falana, Louis Gossett Jr., and Johnny Brown. Ben Vereen was his understudy.
Smoked four packs of cigarettes a day during his lifetime.
Heavily criticized for performing in South Africa during the apartheid era.
His daughter Tracey was angry that she learned about the adoption of his third son Manny on national television rather than from her father. He also didn’t spend enough time with his three older children.
Had a daughter, Tracey, with second wife May Britt. They also adopted two sons: Mark born 1960, adopted 1963 and Jeff born 1963, named after actor Jeff Chandler. He adopted a son, Manny born 1978, adopted 1989, with third wife Altovise.
Mentor and friend to Gregory Hines.
When he married Swedish actress May Britt in 1960, interracial marriage was still banned in 30 American states.
Admitted to compulsive carousing, reckless gambling, and spending $50 million over 20 years while earning $3 million a year.
Was friends with Ron Perlman; they met at the Golden Globe Awards in the late 1980s, and he was a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast 1987.
In 1956, he was a success in his first Broadway show Mr. Wonderful, which launched his Hollywood career.
His parents were both black; his father was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, to African-American parents, and his mother was a New Yorker with Cuban and African-American ancestry. He sometimes said his mother was Puerto Rican.
Was originally cast in Never So Few 1959 until a feud with Frank Sinatra over a radio interview got him replaced by Steve McQueen.
Was a huge fan of the Australian TV drama Prisoner 1979, flying to the set to meet cast and crew in Melbourne.
His career began to wane after 1970, but he continued to appear on television specials and in Las Vegas shows.
Member of the Rat Pack with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, all appearing in Ocean’s Eleven 1960.
Regularly attended Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas concerts and appeared in the documentary Elvis: That’s the Way It Is 1970.
His eight Billboard Top 20 pop hits include The Candy Man #1 1972, Something’s Gotta Give #9 1955, I’ve Gotta Be Me #11 1968, Love Me or Leave Me #12 1955, That Old Black Magic #13 1955, Hey There #16 1954, What Kind of Fool Am I #17 1962, and The Shelter of Your Arms #17 1963.
He outlived his father by less than two years.
Harry Belafonte was his best man at his wedding to Loray White.
Described himself as a one-eyed Jewish Negro.
Following his death, he was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, in the Garden of Honor next to his father.
Awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6254 Hollywood Boulevard on February 8, 1960.
Longtime friend Bill Cosby wore a small SD button on episodes of The Cosby Show 1984 after his death as a tribute.
In 1956, he starred on Broadway in 400 performances of Mr. Wonderful.
TV composer Morton Stevens was his musical director between 1950 and 1960 before moving into television music composing.
Though listed as 5’5, he appeared considerably shorter than Cheryl Ladd listed 5’4 in Charlie’s Angels.
Heavily criticized for going to Vietnam in February 1972 at President Nixon’s request.
After his G.I. war service, during which he produced camp shows, he rejoined the family show which became a nightclub attraction.
On August 11, 2020, he was honored with a day of his filmography during Turner Classic Movies Summer Under the Stars.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Sammy Davis Jr..
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