Early life
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. was born in New York City, New York to Elvera Sanchez (1905-2000)[1], a Puerto Rican tap dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr. (1900-1988), an African-American entertainer. The couple were both dancers in vaudeville. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. During his lifetime Sammy Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan.[2] As a child he learned how to dance from his father and his "uncle" Will Mastin, who led the dance troupe his father worked for. Davis joined the act as a young child and they became the Will Mastin Trio. Throughout his long career, Davis included the Will Mastin Trio in his billing.
Mastin and his father had shielded him from racism. Snubs were explained as jealousy, for instance. When Davis served in the United States Army during World War II however, he was confronted by strong racial prejudice. As he said later, "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color anymore. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong. It was as if I'd walked through a swinging door for eighteen years, a door which they had always secretly held open."
Career
While in the service, however, he joined an integrated entertainment Special Services unit, and found that the spotlight removed some of the prejudice. "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking," he said.[3]
Sammy Davis, Jr. (left) with Roy Wilkins (right) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C.
After he was discharged, Davis rejoined the dance act which played at a wide variety of spots around Portland Oregon, and began to achieve success on his own as he was singled out for praise by critics. The next year, he released his second album. The next move in his growing career was to appear in the Broadway show Mr. Wonderful in 1956.
In 1959, he became a member of the Rat Pack, which was led by his old friend Frank Sinatra, and included such fellow performers as Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine. Initially, Sinatra called the gathering of fast-living friends "the Clan," but Sam voiced his opposition, saying that it invoked thoughts about the Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the Summit"...but nevertheless, the media kept on calling it the Rat Pack all along.
Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years, yet was required to accept accommodations in a rooming house on the west side of the city, rather than reside with his peers in the hotels, as were all black performers in the 1950s. For example, no stage dressing rooms were provided for black performers, so they were required to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. [4]
During his early years in Las Vegas, he and other African-American artists like Nat King Cole and Count Basie could entertain on the stage, but often could not reside at the hotels at which they performed, and most definitely could not gamble in the casinos or go to the hotel restaurants and bars. After he achieved superstar success, Davis refused to work at venues which would practice racial segregation. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos. Davis was particularly proud of this accomplishment. [5]
Although James Brown would claim the title of "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," the argument could be made that Sammy Davis, Jr. deserved it more. For example, in 1964 he was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he would either be in the studio recording new songs, or else performing live, often at charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los Angeles. Even at the time, Sam knew he was cheating his family of his company, but he couldn't help himself; as he later said, he was incapable of standing still.
Although still a huge draw in Las Vegas, Davis' musical career had sputtered out by the latter years of the 1960s, although he had a #11 hit (#1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've Gotta Be Me" in 1969. An attempt to update his sound and reconnect with younger people resulted in some embarrassing "hip" musical efforts with the Motown record label.[6] But then, even as his career seemed at its nadir, Sammy had an unexpected worldwide smash hit with "Candy Man". Although he didn't particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he was now best known for it, Davis made the most of his new opportunity and revitalized his career. Although he enjoyed no more Top 40 hits, he did enjoy some extra popularity with his performance of the theme song from the T.V. series Baretta (1975-1978) which was not released as a single but was given extensive radio play and he remained a successful live act beyond Vegas for the remainder of his career. He would still occasionally land television and film parts, including high profile visits to the All in the Family series playing himself. In the 1970s, he also appeared in a series of memorable commercials in Japan for Suntory whiskey.
On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special entitled Movin' With Nancy. In addition to the Emmy Award-winning musical performances, the show is famous for Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. greeting each other with a kiss, one of the first black-white kisses in U.S. television history.[7]
In Japan, Davis appeared in television commercials for coffee, and in the U.S. he joined Sinatra and Martin in a radio commercial for a Chicago car dealership.
Davis was one of the first male celebrities to admit to watching television soap operas, particularly the shows produced by the American Broadcasting Company. This admission led to him making a cameo appearance on General Hospital and playing the recurring character Chip Warren on One Life to Live for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980. He was also a game show fan, making a cameo on the ABC version of Family Feud in 1979, and hosting a question with Richard Dawson watching from the sidelines. He appeared on Tattletales with third wife Altovise Davis in the 1970s. He also made a cameo during an episode of the NBC version of Card Sharks in 1981.
Davis was an avid photographer who enjoyed shooting family and acquaintances. His body of work was detailed in a 2007 book by Burt Boyar. "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s," Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." Davis used a medium format camera later on to capture images. Again quoting Davis, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask... 'What's that nigger doin' here?' ". His catalogue of photos include rare shots of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio. Also, intimate snapshots of close friends: Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole and Marilyn Monroe. His political affiliations also were represented in his images of: Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. His most revealing work comes in photographs of wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark.
(Credit Wikipidia.org)
All of You
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There′s a big romantic deal I've got to wangle.
For I′ve fallen for a certain lovely lass,
And it's not a passing fancy or a fancy pass.
I love the looks of you, the lure of you
The sweet of you, the pure of you
The eyes, the arms, the mouth of you
I'd love to gain complete control of you
And handle even the heart and soul of you
So love at least a small percent of me do
For I love all of you
I′d love to gain complete control of you
And handle even the heart and soul of you
So love at least a small percent of me do
For I love all of you
The lyrics of Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "All of You" convey the deep affection and desire the singer feels for a certain woman. He begins by describing how captivated he is by her, having watched her appeal from every angle. This suggests that he has taken the time to truly observe and appreciate her in every possible way. The use of the word "wangle" indicates that he intends to negotiate or manipulate a romantic relationship with her.
The singer emphasizes that his feelings for this woman are not fleeting or superficial, but rather a genuine and lasting adoration. He expresses his love for every aspect of her being, from her physical features such as her looks, eyes, arms, and mouth, to her inner qualities like her sweetness and purity. The repetition of the directions (east, west, north, and south) suggests that his love encompasses her from every direction, highlighting the all-encompassing nature of his affection.
The singer pleads to gain complete control over her, suggesting a desire for a deep emotional connection. He wants to handle not only her physical being, but also her heart and soul, indicating a longing for a profound emotional bond. The repetition of the phrase "love at least a small percent of me do" portrays his vulnerability and the need for reciprocation from the woman. He yearns for her to love him even if it's just a small amount, emphasizing that he wants her to acknowledge and appreciate his love for her.
Overall, the lyrics of "All of You" convey a deep and genuine love, with the singer expressing his desire to have a meaningful relationship with this woman, encompassing both physical and emotional aspects.
Line by Line Meaning
After watching her appeal from every angle,
After observing her attractiveness from all perspectives,
There′s a big romantic deal I've got to wangle.
There is a significant romantic endeavor that I must maneuver.
For I′ve fallen for a certain lovely lass,
Because I have deeply fallen in love with a particular beautiful woman,
And it's not a passing fancy or a fancy pass.
And it is not a fleeting infatuation or a superficial encounter.
I love the looks of you, the lure of you
I adore your physical appearance, the irresistible charm you possess
The sweet of you, the pure of you
Your sweetness and purity touch my heart
The eyes, the arms, the mouth of you
Your eyes, embrace, and your kiss captivate me
The east, west, north, and the south of you
Every aspect of you, from all directions
I'd love to gain complete control of you
I desire to have absolute influence over you
And handle even the heart and soul of you
To even emotionally and spiritually guide and cherish you
So love at least a small percent of me do
Therefore, please reciprocate with even a fraction of your love towards me
For I love all of you
Because I genuinely love every part of who you are
I′d love to gain complete control of you
I desire to have absolute influence over you
And handle even the heart and soul of you
To even emotionally and spiritually guide and cherish you
So love at least a small percent of me do
Therefore, please reciprocate with even a fraction of your love towards me
For I love all of you
Because I genuinely love every part of who you are
Writer(s): Cole Porter
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@williammatthews2390
Brings back wonderful memories of being a bachelor in the 1950s.
@robertchamberlain7202
1955 and 1956 were great years for songs and broadway musicals
@lucillematthews4421
Ah Yes the Magic 50's What a time it was. Thanks for the memories.
@krochelle2619
What a voice...
@RanBlakePiano
So wonderful
@marakaretsos5204
🎶🎶🎶⭐️⭐️⭐️
@Mrsecurity2013
They just don’t make music like this anymore.
@1qstudios
You know you have Michael buble