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)
Lady Is A Tramp
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never wished for turkey
As I hitched and hiked and a-drifted, too
From Maine to Albuquerque
Alas, I missed the Beaux Arts Ball
What is twice as sad
I was never at a party
Where they honored Noel Ca'ad
Her Hobohemia is the place I wanna be
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She loves the theater but never comes late
She'll never bother with someone she hates
That's why the lady is a tramp
She goes to Coney, the beach is divine
She digs the ball games and the bleachers are fine
She reads Kilgallen and I mean every line
That's why the lady is a tramp
I like the green grass under my shoes
So what can I lose?
I'm flat, that's that
And for Ray Charles, she whistles and stamps
That's why the lady is a tramp
She likes the free fresh wind in her hair
Life without care
She is broke but it's oke
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
That's why the lady is a tramp
Why the lady
That is why the lady
Why the lady is a tramp
One more time
Why the lady
I'm hip, that crazy lady
Why the lady is a tramp
In Sammy Davis Jr.'s song The Lady Is A Tramp, the lyrics are centered around a woman who is confident in herself, despite not conforming to the expectations of high society. The song references the singer's own personal experiences of traveling, hitchhiking, and attending events such as the Beaux Arts Ball. However, they missed this event since they were not invited, which is a source of regret. They go on to say that the lady in question moves in social circles that are too fast for them, and instead prefers the more relaxed atmosphere of Hobohemia. The common theme throughout the lyrics is that the lady is a non-conformist who does as she pleases regardless of societal norms.
The song continues with the description of the lady's personality, which is free-spirited and carefree. She enjoys going to Coney Island, indulging in ball games and reading the gossip of Dorothy Kilgallen. She is not bound by societal norms and conventions, which is why the singer describes her as a tramp. This is followed by the reason why the lady is a tramp: she likes the free, fresh wind in her hair, and life without care. She doesn't have much money, and she hates California since it’s cold and damp. However, her carefree spirit and love of life are what make her unique, hence why she's a tramp.
Line by Line Meaning
I've wined and dined on Mulligan stew
I have enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and do not require extravagance in order to be satisfied.
Never wished for turkey
I do not envy those who have more than me and am content with what I have.
As I hitched and hiked and a-drifted, too, From Maine to Albuquerque
I have traveled far and wide and experienced many different types of people and places.
Alas, I missed the Beaux Arts Ball, What is twice as sad, I was never at a party Where they honored Noel Ca'ad
I may have missed out on some high society events and gatherings, but it does not bother me as it is not my scene.
But her social circles spin too fast for me, Her Hobohemia is the place I wanna be
I prefer the company of those who live more simply and at a slower pace, rather than trying to keep up with those in high society.
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight, She loves the theater but never comes late, She'll never bother with someone she hates, That's why the lady is a tramp
She does not conform to society's standards or expectations and lives life on her own terms, doing what she wants when she wants.
She goes to Coney, the beach is divine, She digs the ball games and the bleachers are fine, She reads Kilgallen and I mean every line, That's why the lady is a tramp
She enjoys simple pleasures such as going to the beach or watching a ball game, and takes joy in the little things in life like reading a newspaper column.
I like the green grass under my shoes, So what can I lose?, I'm flat, that's that, And for Ray Charles, she whistles and stamps, That's why the lady is a tramp
I am content with what I have and do not need material possessions to be happy. I also appreciate and admire talented performers such as Ray Charles.
She likes the free fresh wind in her hair, Life without care, She is broke but it's oke, Hates California, it's cold and it's damp, That's why the lady is a tramp
She values freedom and living life without worry or stress, even if it means not having much money. She also dislikes some parts of the world that others may find desirable.
Why the lady, That is why the lady, Why the lady is a tramp
The reason she stands out and is unique in society is because she lives life on her own terms, not conforming to what others expect of her.
One more time, Why the lady, I'm hip, that crazy lady, Why the lady is a tramp
Once again, the reason she stands out is because of her nonconformity and unique qualities, which make her both interesting and admirable.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donnaholstein2104
LET ME KNOW WHEN EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS...WHAT YOU HAVE DONE....THE UNFORGIVEN... UNFORGIVABLE... UNFORGETTABLE... UNIMAGINABLE.... UNSPEAKABLE.... UNEXPLAINABLE....I HATE...I MAD MAD MA D.... PLAYING WITH My SANITY....I AM HUSSAIN NOT INSANE.....
..,,..............................................................................................................You Have already MURDERED my little brother Speakapon ..He was a Targeted Tortured Individual Victim also....YOU KiILLED HIM 7yrs ago now....You didn't get him with the liver Cancer inflicted by these games...But His blood pressure gave him a Heart Attack...
I can prove this fact my own blood pressure Exceeds His... LMFAO
I WILL PROVE YOU ALl MURDERED My Brother Dallas Pullam Jr...IM HIS SISTER... Donna Pullam Holstein
Still the same you all are at it again today everyday ...the ones of you that thought it cute to identify to me lyou ike threatening children and animals this is a game to you causing harm to my kids Scott and Steven Holstein life.... Taking life through and worse technology FUNNY... Bob Segar... Samantha Cher Segar....Amber Heard...Lisa Lori Allison...Page Elway... Marie Francis Larson Pullam... Karen Pullam Wilson Howlett Holstein... Sharon Pullam Rameriz...Heidi Pullam.. Lynda Harsvick...Carol Nicks Plant... Stevie Nicks Rohack Matthews... Paulette Pullam Stone... Donald Trump... United States Government... United Nations... AND SUCH...
I am INDIAN Poka aka Holy Ghost and Hussain.. We're all walking...I'm not the one with the problem.. Something wrong about thinking is ok To hurt any child but mine your the one's out of mind... Mimiking Sprited Through Technology Military Weapons Grade 5 g Telepathy ...Voice to Skull...Mindreading...Telepathy and Mental telepathy are two very different things...Imagine what you don't know now because you need technology and we dont...And Such...You can't catch a thought when I throw it at you idots...You BIGOTS to Belittle Humiliation Degrade Depress..Create Mental Illnesses...Create So Many Health... biological Issues...Targeting Individual's... Organs...Pain... Biologica Infection... Chemical Infection and Disease... Depends... Contaminate Food Sources...Water... Medications...HAIR... Starving invetro...Food Agression..Organ Harvesting... Illegal Organ and Limb experiment on children and animals.....Gang Stalking... Harvesting of Spirit and Soul....Voice to skull...
Cutting Children and Animals no Pain Relief in brutal procedures..Foul water play...Making Parents Watch... Primitive SEX Games... Watching Munchouser s...Sex Trafficking...Human Trafficking...Work Trafficking... Disrespectful Disposal of Remain in Cement Pavement to be walked on... Digging up of remains and Hanis acts on them...The Septic Fields... Underground Freaking Freaking Filth Discust...AND MORE HANIS MORE HORRIFIC CRIMES STILL....I AND OR ONE OF US HAS LIVED THROUGH IT ALL...I CAN CIRCLE IT ALL...I KNOW WHY ME I CAN CIRCLE THAT ALSO...I WAS DECLARED HUSSAIN IN DETROIT BEFORE I WAS 3...I AM WIDE AWAKE...I TOOK ALL FAKE GODS BLACK MAGIC B/S anything Sprited and stupid enough EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TAKEN AND NUTROLIZED...And I Gave It To The Animals .... LMFAO...DUMB ... SUCKER...I WONDER WHAT MY AGENDA IS...
I WILL NOT...WE WILL NOT AWARD FOR BAD BEHAVIOR....I WILL NOT BACK DOWN.... YOU WILL NOT MAKE ME...VERY SIMPLE...DO NOT HURT CHILDREN and ANIMALS...
Donna Pullam Holstein Scott and Steven Holstein Mom...
LET ME KNOW WHEN EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS...WHAT YOU HAVE DONE....THE UNFORGIVEN... UNFORGIVABLE... UNFORGETTABLE... UNIMAGINABLE.... UNSPEAKABLE.... UNEXPLAINABLE....I HATE...I MAD MAD MA D.... PLAYING WITH My SANITY....I AM HUSSAIN NOT INSANE.....
..,,..............................................................................................................You Have already MURDERED my little brother Speakapon ..He was a Targeted Tortured Individual Victim also....YOU KiILLED HIM 7yrs ago now....You didn't get him with the liver Cancer inflicted by these games...But His blood pressure gave him a Heart Attack...
I can prove this fact my own blood pressure Exceeds His... LMFAO
I WILL PROVE YOU ALl MURDERED My Brother Dallas Pullam Jr...IM HIS SISTER... Donna Pullam Holstein
Still the same you all are at it again today everyday ...the ones of you that thought it cute to identify to me lyou ike threatening children and animals this is a game to you causing harm to my kids Scott and Steven Holstein life.... Taking life through and worse technology FUNNY... Bob Segar... Samantha Cher Segar....Amber Heard...Lisa Lori Allison...Page Elway... Marie Francis Larson Pullam... Karen Pullam Wilson Howlett Holstein... Sharon Pullam Rameriz...Heidi Pullam.. Lynda Harsvick...Carol Nicks Plant... Stevie Nicks Rohack Matthews... Paulette Pullam Stone... Donald Trump... United States Government... United Nations... AND SUCH...
I am INDIAN Poka aka Holy Ghost and Hussain.. We're all walking...I'm not the one with the problem.. Something wrong about thinking is ok To hurt any child but mine your the one's out of mind... Mimiking Sprited Through Technology Military Weapons Grade 5 g Telepathy ...Voice to Skull...Mindreading...Telepathy and Mental telepathy are two very different things...Imagine what you don't know now because you need technology and we dont...And Such...You can't catch a thought when I throw it at you idots...You BIGOTS to Belittle Humiliation Degrade Depress..Create Mental Illnesses...Create So Many Health... biological Issues...Targeting Individual's... Organs...Pain... Biologica Infection... Chemical Infection and Disease... Depends... Contaminate Food Sources...Water... Medications...HAIR... Starving invetro...Food Agression..Organ Harvesting... Illegal Organ and Limb experiment on children and animals.....Gang Stalking... Harvesting of Spirit and Soul....Voice to skull...
Cutting Children and Animals no Pain Relief in brutal procedures..Foul water play...Making Parents Watch... Primitive SEX Games... Watching Munchouser s...Sex Trafficking...Human Trafficking...Work Trafficking... Disrespectful Disposal of Remain in Cement Pavement to be walked on... Digging up of remains and Hanis acts on them...The Septic Fields... Underground Freaking Freaking Filth Discust...AND MORE HANIS MORE HORRIFIC CRIMES STILL....I AND OR ONE OF US HAS LIVED THROUGH IT ALL...I CAN CIRCLE IT ALL...I KNOW WHY ME I CAN CIRCLE THAT ALSO...I WAS DECLARED HUSSAIN IN DETROIT BEFORE I WAS 3...I AM WIDE AWAKE...I TOOK ALL FAKE GODS BLACK MAGIC B/S anything Sprited and stupid enough EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TAKEN AND NUTROLIZED...And I Gave It To The Animals .... LMFAO...DUMB ... SUCKER...I WONDER WHAT MY AGENDA IS...
I WILL NOT...WE WILL NOT AWARD FOR BAD BEHAVIOR....I WILL NOT BACK DOWN.... YOU WILL NOT MAKE ME...VERY SIMPLE...DO NOT HURT CHILDREN and ANIMALS...
Donna Pullam Holstein Scott and Steven Holstein Mom...
@bungle6668
Undoubtedly the greatest of the "rat packers".... He can sing, dance, spin a yarn and most of all knows how to play an audicence! his range is incredible, switching from childlike to full on smooth adult and everything in-between! im only sad im too young to remeber him in his prime (i was 5 when he did this concert)... What a man! VERY, VERY few artists even come close to this... RIP Sammy! the greatest of the greats!
@musicandmovieguy55
Thank God someone had the sense to produce this fine DVD live concert performance in Germany of the great Sammy while he was still with us! For those who haven't gotten a copy of it - get one before they're all sold out forever! Sammy is absolutely magnificent in it, giving 110% of himself, despite his age and serious health problems and the band you see here backing him - is fabulous.
@lovaboy0076
I agree! When I realized the year he performed this was 5 years before he died it amazed me that he actually did perform it considering his health problems
@degsbabe
Man. Would loved to have been there.
@cocoolizoo
I miss Sammy. And the Rat pack, these guys made it look easy.
@mickj.147
Absolute legend,im 43 so never listened to him in his prime,hes better then Sinatra and Martin twice on the same night, untold talent.He must have faced so many closed doors simply because of his colour.Little 5ft guy blew the doors off.
@joeg3911
All things considered, there was never a performer better than Sammy Davis Jr. He did it all!
@kimberlytodd2258
This performance right hereeee. He left it alllll on that stage. He gave his all then some.
@sabrinea1625
his whole persona on stage is so good so classic, nothing like this anymore!!!
@musicandmovieguy55
There will never ever be a performer and vocalist like Sammy.........He was such a frail, tiny guy but had the voice, energy, sincerity, tremendous talent, charisma, and charm of a dozen great singers and showmen - rolled into one!! Beyond Sammy's countless millions of fans worldwide - one can easily see how and why Frank Sinatra thought so highly of him and how both felt very special and honored to have such a wonderful lasting friendship together for so many years......As one can also read in books about both Sammy and Frank - it is often mentioned many times how grateful Sammy was for Frank's endless support and help with his career as both singer and actor, and as a person - during especially very troubled times in the beginning - involving the most unfortunate difficulties black actors and vocalists had to deal with and accept, back then - in sharp contrast to the times of today and even 50 or so years ago.
Alas - for all us fans of Sammy and his fabulous career and dedication to pleasing and giving everything he could possibly give to audiences alike - there exists very few film clips of him and the most memorable gifts of laughter and song he gave us all for so many years.....
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Sammy, for all that you gave this troubled world for as long as you possibly could. RIP forever.
PS - And - as always - Thank You viewers very much for reading and giving so many "thumbs up" to my long - winded reviews, but I continue to do it because I truly feel all the wonderful performers of the fabulous "Golden Age" more than deserve all the recognition we can offer them, in their memory and in my case in particular - for all that they have done for me to keep me alive and most happy whenever possible throughout my nearly 7 decades of life. Stay safe and healthy everyone.......