Tomorrow marks 19 years since the death of Sammy Davis Jr. He died at his home in Los Angeles from throat cancer on May 16, 1990. Sammy was such a fantastic showman. He started his career at the age of 3 in vaudeville. Sammy was an all around great entertainer. He could do it all, everything from singing to dancing to acting to telling jokes to doing impressions of other celebrities. Sammy was wonderful in nightclubs, on Broadway, in the movies, on television, etc. He scored countless hit songs throughout his career. He was a Rat Packer, one of the coolest cats to ever walk the planet.
There were many highs, but there were also many lows. Sammy had quite a few health problems, including losing one of his eyes in a 1954 car crash. He abused alcohol and drugs. He spent and gambled way more money than he ever earned. He chased skirts while he was married. He faced racism due to the color of his skin and his marriage to a white woman. Sammy also faced resentment from many blacks, who said that he acted "white." His conversion to Judaism didn't go over very lightly with the masses. Sammy definitely faced his shares of trials and tribulations.
I want to raise a toast to Sammy Davis Jr. He's one of my favorite entertainers of all time. Sammy has more talent in his little finger than most of us have in our entire bodies. I don't think he ever got quite the amount of credit and attention that he deserved. I honor Sammy on the anniversary of his death. I'm sure he's up there in that big casino in the sky with all his pallies. Cheers!
52 comments:
He had great style :o]..
Gone but never forgotten what a true talent... How he is still missed today..
Hi Keith, just heard that Martin Scorcesse is going to make a bio pic about Rat Pack Supremo Frankie, isn't that awsome! Have a sunny weekend!
I'll raising a glass and spinning a tune or two this weekend Kieth..
Thanks Terence. That he did.
Thanks Mel. Yeah, I agree. He, along with Frank and Dino, are all missed. We would really use them all here again.
Hey Mirko. Thanks for the comments. Another friend of mine had sent me a link about it. That is cool. I'm going to have to blog about it very soon.
Thanks Dave. I appreciate that. Cheers!
Hey pallie Keith, nice trib to the Sam...a true pallie to our Dino...
Hey pallie DMP. Thanks. I appreciate that.
That's a nice tribute to Sammy. He is one of the best entertainers ever.
Beautiful toast, Keith! Cheers, and have a fabulous weekend!
xoxox,
CC
Thanks Phoebe. Glad you liked my post.
Thanks Carrie. Glad you liked it. Have a great weekend. Cheers!
And don't forget his hilarious little bit when he made a guest appearance on All in the Family!
Thanks for the Sammy tribute, Keith. I hope Sammy soon gets the respect and recognition he deserves from the masses. He was the original triple threat, a true entertainer through and through.
Cheers to Sammy, he was always one of my favorites also. Him and Dino to be honest... all those tribulations are definitely an attestant to his talent and strength.
Great post dear Keith, hope you have a nice weekend!
Eerie...I didn't know it was the anniversary of his death coming up. Yesterday, I was at an estate sale with hundreds of records, and I was actually thinking of you as I snatched up every Sammy record I saw! All the records looked pristine, the owner obviously loved them. I was planning to take pix and send them to you in case you didn't already have them. RIP, Sammy.
Very nice tribute - and great picture! :)
Sammy's day will come. He will be recognized as the giant talent he was.
Hey Kim. Yeah, that's right! That's actually probably my introduction to him.
Hey FilmFather. Thanks. Glad you agree. Yeah, he could do it all. He was a fantastic entertainer that deserves more than he gets.
Hey Gabbi. Thanks. Glad you are a fan too. Sammy is actually my second favorite Rat Packer. Dino is my favorite. I think he's a fab entertainer. Have a great weekend.
Hey Tikimama. Thanks for the comments. That is so cool. I'm glad you were able to get those records. Yes, I would love to have those pictures. That would be awesome. I appreciate it very much. Cheers!
Thanks Erika. Glad you liked it.
Thanks Robert. I believe that's true. Cheers!
Hi keith, Great tribute to a great man. Thanks for reminding me - I'll dig out some of his tunes this weekend for sure. Have a goood weekend yourself.
A true individual, who lived life on his own terms and left a rich and creative legacy.
The big casino with all his pallies!
Love it. Such a legend! Xo
A toast to Sammy Davis! =]
Bisous,
La C.
Great entertainer and what an interesting life he had. My favourite song he sang is Hawaii Five O. Takes me back to saturday nights as a kid in the 1970's. My dad would be out for the night singing (he was a singer in the clubs at the weekends, sadly he wasnt a Dean, Frank or Sammy). I didnt even know there were words to that tv theme tune until I hear SD jr singing it.... X
Hey Cocktails. Thanks for the comments. That's a great idea. I'm playing some of Sammy's music right now. I plan to drink some cocktails to him later today. Cheers!
Thanks Scott. I really liked what you wrote about Sammy. So true.
Thanks Liz. Glad you enjoyed that. Cheers!
Thanks La C. Cheers!
Hey Vintage. Thanks for the great comments. That's so cool about your dad. I'm sure he had quite the talent. There are very few of us who are like Sammy, Dino, or Frankie. I never knew there were words for Hawaii Five O until I heard Sammy sing the tune. I love it. Cheers!
He always looked so fabulous, despite his many problems. Great post in memory of him, Keith!
I hope all is well with you and you have a wonderful weekend!
i loved that man. i wanted to be him when i was younger-id put on my tap shoes and play SDJ. That is when i wasnt reinacting Cats.
He was truly amazing. An all round entertainer and a stunning one at that :)
Raise a glass of scotch to Sammy...he was a huge person. I remember the day he died...a sad day. Thanks for the memory Keith!
Hey Allison. Thanks for the comments. It was nice hearing from you. I hope you're doing well. I'm glad you enjoyed my tribute. It's a shame he had so much against him. He was definitely a fantastic entertainer.
Hey Mrs. M, Thanks for the comments. I don't blame you one bit. Sammy is amazing. The man could do it all. He's one of a kind. I love Cats by the way.
Hey Dapper Kid. Thanks. Yeah, I totally agree. We don't have many entertainers like Sammy anymore.
Hey Veronica. Glad you enjoyed my tribute. I raise a toast to Sammy too. It was a sad day when he did. The 90's was a sad decade concerning the Rat Pack.
Here, Here! To Sammy! :clink:
Thanks Kat. Cheers!
Where does the time go?! I was just thinking about him the other day and felt it was just like yesterday that he left us..... Great talent and style! Go Sammy!!
Just realized my last comment was signed in on my French cupcake blog-- Whoops!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and writing... I'm glad you found me b/c I like your blog!
Take care,
Leesa
Hey Cupcake. Thanks for the comments. Great hearing from you. I know what you mean. It's hard to believe that he passed away almost 20 years ago. The years have flown by.
Thanks Leesa. No problem about that. You are very welcome. I'm glad you like my blog. I like yours too. I hope you'll stop by again. Cheers!
Thanks for posting this great photo. These 3 men did so much for charity during their lives God bless them and living in palm springs was highly condusive to the golf lifestyle ;-)
Hey Mel. Thanks. I think you left this comment on the wrong post. That's okay though. I am glad you liked that pic I posted today. It was great hearing from you. I hope you are doing well. I've missed ya. Cheers!
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