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)
Fabulous Places
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such as Mexico, Sweden, Hawaii, Japan and Capri!
There are so many exciting & wonderful places!
Mountains and jungles, deserts and oases!
Pleasant as home is,
It isn't what Rome is!
So why stay there?
When there are so many fabulous faraway places to see!
Just be only names to you and me?
I feel certain there are people
We'd be glad to know there!
So tell me why don't we get up and go there?
Go to those fabulous places we're longing to be?
Go to Bangkok & Hong Kong & Paris & Venice!
Tokyo & Cairo & Lisbon & London!
Wonderful fabulous places we're longing to see!
I'd give anything just to have one single day there!
And once we get there,
I know that we'll stay there!
Stay in those fabulous places
We're longing to be!
Such as Siam! Sienna! Vienna! Verona!
Java! Jamaica! Bombay! Barcelona!
Show me those fabulous places
We're longing to see!
Longing to see!
Longing to see!
Just you and me
The song "Fabulous Places" by Sammy Davis Jr. is a beautiful and energetic composition about the yearning to travel and explore the world. The lyrics depict the numerous and diverse places that the character wishes to visit, including popular tourist destinations such as Mexico, Sweden, Hawaii, Japan, and Capri. The song celebrates the excitement and wonder of venturing into unknown territories, discovering new cultures, and meeting interesting people.
The driving force behind the song is the desire to break free from the monotony of daily life and the mundane surroundings of home. The singer believes that as pleasant as home is, it cannot compare to the adventure and thrill of traveling abroad. Visiting countries like Spain, Tahiti, and Rio is not enough, as the mere mention of their names is not sufficient without the experience of immersing oneself in their culture and beauty. The song suggests that there are people out there that we are meant to meet and connections that we are meant to make, and that the only way to do so is by taking a chance and exploring the world.
Overall, "Fabulous Places" is a joyful and upbeat song that inspires listeners to take risks, step out of their comfort zones, and explore the world around them. It emphasizes the importance of experiencing different cultures, pushing boundaries, and seizing opportunities that come our way. The song speaks to anyone who has a passion for travel and the desire to see all the incredible sights that the world has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
There are so many fabulous faraway places to see!
There are countless breathtaking and exotic destinations all over the world that one can visit, experience and enjoy!
Such as Mexico, Sweden, Hawaii, Japan and Capri!
Examples of some of those exciting, wonderful places to visit includes Mexico, Sweden, Hawaii, Japan and Capri amongst others!
There are so many exciting & wonderful places!
A vast array of fascinating, fun and interesting places that exists all over the world, for one to explore and discover!
Mountains and jungles, deserts and oases!
From climbing up rugged mountains and exploring lush jungles, to discovering the beauty of vast deserts and serene oases are remarkable experiences one can have!
Pleasant as home is,
While home may be a comfortable and pleasant place to be,
It isn't what Rome is!
It is not the same thing as visiting the city of Rome, with all its history and culture waiting to be absorbed!
So why stay there?
Why limit ourselves to just staying within the comfort of our homes, when there is so much more to see and explore out in the world?
When there are so many fabulous faraway places to see!
Why not go out there and explore all the fabulous, enchanting places that are out there waiting to be discovered?
Why should Spain and Tahiti and Rio
Why should destinations like Spain, Tahiti and Rio be unknown strangers to us,
Just be only names to you and me?
When we can change that by going to these places and getting to experience and appreciate their unique culture, people and locations in person?
I feel certain there are people
I am convinced that out there are people
We'd be glad to know there!
Whom we would be thrilled to meet and make acquaintances with!
So tell me why don't we get up and go there?
Why not take the initiative to go out there and explore all these fantastic destinations?
Go to those fabulous places we're longing to be?
Lets go to all those stunning destinations we've been dreaming of visiting!
Go to Bangkok & Hong Kong & Paris & Venice!
Let's go to these fantastic places such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Paris and Venice amongst other breathtaking destinations!
Tokyo & Cairo & Lisbon & London!
Lets visit places such as Tokyo, Cairo, Lisbon and London too!
Wonderful fabulous places we're longing to see!
All these remarkable and adventuresome places that we have been dreaming of appreciating and enjoying for ourselves!
I'd give anything just to have one single day there!
These destinations sound so incredible that I would be willing to pay any price or cost just to have even one single day there to experience it all!
And once we get there,
Once we finally get to these amazing locations,
I know that we'll stay there!
I believe that we will have such an unforgettable and mind-blowing experience that we will not want to leave!
Stay in those fabulous places
We will want to remain in these dazzling and delightful locations
We're longing to be!
That we have been yearning to visit for so long!
Such as Siam! Sienna! Vienna! Verona!
These spellbinding locations like Siam, Sienna, Vienna, and Verona, are just a few of the spectacular destinations we should strive to visit.
Java! Jamaica! Bombay! Barcelona!
We should also endeavour to explore other awe-inspiring destinations such as Java, Jamaica, Bombay and Barcelona!
Show me those fabulous places
Let's go to these breathtaking and fascinating places
We're longing to see!
We have been longing and dreaming of visiting these stunning places, so let's make that a reality for ourselves!
Longing to see!
We have an intense desire to witness and experience the beauty and adventure that these destinations have to offer
Longing to see!
A heartfelt desire and urge to see and experience all these captivating and awe-inspiring destinations that the world has to offer!
Just you and me
Let's go to all these magnificent destinations together and experience them as a team!
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.