First Name |
Sammy
|
Middle Name |
George
|
Last Name |
Davis Jr.
|
Full Name at Birth |
Samuel George Davis Jr.
|
Alternative Name |
Smoky, Sammy Davis, Samuel George Davis Jr., Sammy Davis Jr.
|
Birthday |
8th December, 1925
|
Birthplace |
Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
|
Died |
16th May, 1990
|
Place of Death |
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
|
Cause of Death |
Throat Cancer
|
Buried |
Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California
|
Height |
5' 5" (165 cm)
|
Build |
Slim
|
Eye Color |
Brown - Dark
|
Hair Color |
Black
|
Distinctive Feature |
His Glass Eye (The Left Eye).
|
Zodiac Sign |
Sagittarius
|
Sexuality |
Straight
|
Religion |
Jewish
|
Ethnicity |
Black
|
Nationality |
American
|
Occupation Text |
Singer • dancer • actor • comedian • activist
|
Occupation |
Actor
|
Claim to Fame |
Member of the 'Rat Pack'
|
Music Genre (Text) |
Traditional pop, big band, jazz, easy listening, show tunes, swing, vocal jazz, blues
|
Music Genre |
Vocal
|
Year(s) Active |
1928–1990, 1933–90, 1933–1990
|
Music Style |
Show Tunes, Jazz, Stage & Screen, Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz, Pop/Rock, AM Pop, Standards
|
Music Mood |
Earnest, Amiable/Good-Natured, Playful, Fun, Lively, Innocent, Carefree, Elegant, Sophisticated, Happy, Sentimental, Stylish, Theatrical, Exuberant, Laid-Back/Mellow, Confident, Witty, Refined/Mannered, Joyous, Exciting
|
Instrument |
Vocals
|
Instrument (text) |
Vocals, piano, drums
|
Associated Acts |
Rat Pack, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Shore, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Dean Martin, Duke Ellington, Ray Vasquez
|
Brand Endorsement |
Alka-Seltzer, (1968) Print ad: Groshire/Austin Leeds suits, (early 1960s) TV commercial (Great Britain): Shell gasoline ("What a gas!"), (1974) TV commercial (Japan): Suntory whiskey, (1972) TV commercial: General Electric Tape Recorder
|
Official Websites |
www.nndb.com/people/534/000022468/, www.sammydavis-jr.com/, www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=263, http://www.sammydavis-jr.com
|
Father |
Sammy Davis Sr
|
Mother |
Elvera Davis
|
Friend |
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, Jeff Chandler, Tony Curtis, Judy Garland, Robert Wagner, Montgomery Clift, Jerry Lewis, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, Mickey Cohen, Anita Colby, Van Johnson
|
Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, vaudevillian and comedian who has been called "the greatest entertainer ever to grace a stage in these United States." At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally. After military service, he returned to the trio and became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's (in West Hollywood) after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, at the age of 29, he lost his left eye in a car accident. Several years later, he converted to Judaism, finding commonalities between the oppression experienced by African-American and Jewish communities.