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)
Spinning Wheel
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spinning Wheel got to go 'round
Talkin' 'bout your troubles
It's a cryin' sin
Ride a painted pony
Let the Spinning Wheel spin
You got no money, you got no home
Spinning Wheel all alone
You never learn
Ride a painted pony
Let the Spinning Wheel turn
Did you find your directing sign
On the straight and narrow highway
Would you mind a reflecting sign?
Just let it shine within your mind
And show you the colors that are real
Someone is waiting just for you
Spinning Wheel spinning true
Drop all you troubles by the river side
The song "Spinning Wheel" by Sammy Davis Jr. talks about the cyclical nature of life, with its ups and downs. It acknowledges that everyone goes through tough times and has their share of troubles, but it encourages listeners to keep pushing and let the "spinning wheel" of life keep turning. The metaphor of the "spinning wheel" symbolizes the constant movement of life and its many changes. The chorus encourages listeners to ride the "painted pony" of life and let the spinning wheel spin.
The second verse of the song urges listeners to find their "directing sign" and stay true to themselves. It emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and finding one's own path in life. The verse suggests that if we let our true colors shine, we can attract the right people in our lives. The final line of the song encourages listeners to let go of their troubles and drop them by the riverbank, implying that we should live in the present and not dwell on our past struggles.
Overall, "Spinning Wheel" is an inspirational song that encourages listeners to stay positive and keep moving forward, despite the challenges that life may bring.
Line by Line Meaning
What goes up must come down
Everything in life, good or bad, will come to an end eventually.
Spinning Wheel got to go 'round
Life goes on, whether you are ready for it or not.
Talkin' 'bout your troubles
Complaining about your problems doesn't solve them.
It's a cryin' sin
Wallowing in self-pity only makes things worse.
Ride a painted pony
Enjoy the moment and appreciate the beauty in life.
Let the Spinning Wheel spin
Don't fight against the inevitable changes in life.
You got no money, you got no home
Material possessions don't define your worth or happiness.
Spinning Wheel all alone
Sometimes you have to face challenges on your own.
Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you
Focusing too much on your problems can blind you from the good in life.
You never learn
Repeating the same mistakes leads to no progress or growth.
Did you find your directing sign
Have you found your purpose in life?
On the straight and narrow highway
Are you on the path towards achieving your goals?
Would you mind a reflecting sign?
Would you appreciate a sign that helps you reflect on your life?
Just let it shine within your mind
Be open-minded to ideas that can help you grow as a person.
And show you the colors that are real
See the beauty in life that is often overlooked.
Someone is waiting just for you
There is always someone who cares about you, even in your darkest moments.
Spinning Wheel spinning true
Life will keep moving forward, whether you're ready or not.
Drop all you troubles by the river side
Let go of your worries and find peace by choosing to not dwell on them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Clayton-Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan Graham
That performance just KICKED MY ASS!! Sammy Davis Jr. KILLED it with this song!!!
Jason Jones
Now, that was classic Sammy! Thanks.
muse129
How were all of those people in the audience just sitting there like bumps on a log? Absolutely beyond me...
Godfather Creed
sammys a great singer
luis alcala
SAMMY DAVIS JR, WAS TRUE MEGA TALENT....AND HE WAS THE FIRST ENTERTAINER TO WEAR THE BIG BLING NECKLACES!!!!
70’s Fashion &Hair Channel
Awesomeness!!! I love this!!!
Leslie
LOVE TO SEE SAMMY! Thank you for this video!
Jayne Roper
my favourite version of this song
Jujube Tutube
@Action Party mind to tell me which album the backing track is from? It's not blood sweat and tears...
Action Party
Jayne Roper That is lip synched from the record. He looks drunk.