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)
What I Did For Love
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sweetness and the sorrow
We did what we had to do
And I can't regret what I did for love, what I did for love
Look my eyes are dry
And towards always tomorrow
It's as if we always knew
Gone, love is never gone
And we cary on, love's what we'll remember
Kiss the day goodbye
And point me toward tomorrow
And wish me luck, the same to you
Won't regret, can't forget what I did for love
What I did for love
What I did for love
"Kiss the day goodbye, the sweetness and the sorrow, we did what we had to do, and I can't regret what I did for love, what I did for love." These opening lyrics of Sammy Davis Jr.'s "What I Did For Love" evoke feelings of bittersweet memories and a sense of determination. The singer is looking back at all the things they have done for the sake of love, acknowledging that there have been highs and lows, but ultimately understanding that everything was done out of love. The use of the term "kiss the day goodbye" signifies a sense of finality and closure, almost as if to say that the singer knows that the chapter of their life dedicated to this love is coming to an end. Despite this, the singer has no regrets about what they have done, knowing that it was all for love.
"Look my eyes are dry, and towards always tomorrow, it's as if we always knew, but I won't forget what I did for love, what I did for love." The second verse reflects a sense of acceptance and moving on. The singer's eyes may be dry, but they are looking towards the future with hope and optimism. The lyric "it's as if we always knew" gives the impression that the singer always knew that this love was only for a specific time in their life, and now that it's over, they've come to terms with it. Regardless of what happens in the future, the singer won't forget what they did for love, emphasizing the importance of their choices and actions.
Overall, "What I Did For Love" is a poignant reflection on the sacrifices we make for love and the powerful impact love has on our lives. The song captures a sense of nostalgia for a time in our past where we were willing to do anything for someone we loved, and reminds us to always cherish those memories, even if they may not always have a happy ending.
Line by Line Meaning
Kiss the day goodbye
Bid farewell to the memories of the day
The sweetness and the sorrow
The good and the bad times we had
We did what we had to do
We acted in accordance with what was necessary
And I can't regret what I did for love, what I did for love
I have no remorse over the actions I took for love
Look my eyes are dry
My eyes are free of tears
And towards always tomorrow
Looking ahead towards the future
It's as if we always knew
Feels like we anticipated this outcome all along
But I won't forget what I did for love, what I did for love
I won't lose memory of the sacrifices I made for love
Gone, love is never gone
The feeling of love never dissipates
And we cary on, love's what we'll remember
We will continue to persist, with love as our biggest remembrance
And point me toward tomorrow
Direct me towards the future
And wish me luck, the same to you
Placing good fortune upon both you and me
Won't regret, can't forget what I did for love
I will not regret, and never forget the things I did in the name of love
What I did for love
The provisions made in the name of affection
What I did for love
The provisions made in the name of affection
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-nq2mt3wj4o
He’s such a talented singer, the range of his voice is rich and powerful.
@user-rc7xc2jq8q
I’m only just discovering what an amazing talent Sammy was . His vocals are very impressive , his stage presence outstanding .
@patmsb1
I’m glad YouTube has these timeless videos.
@tomlouis5914
All the legends agreed and crowned Sammy the greatest entertainer ever!
@joseferreirajr2285
Wherever you are, your song and your voice will never die. Thanks Sammy Danis Jr. Hi from Brazil.
@stevenlangdon-griffiths293
What a very nice thing to say. Obrigado
@IsabelCadilha14
Eu Eu Eu Eu vou vou vou ter ter comigo comigo que que você você está está está a a a minha minha minha casa casa não não não tem tem um um dos dos dois dois e e tu tu tu tens tens o o meu meu número número do do meu meu meu amor amor amor você você você está está está a a a trabalhar trabalhar trabalhar no no que que que você você não não não não tem tem tem um um um dos dos dos que que que que eu eu eu vou vou fazer fazer um um um um um um dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia dia
@IsabelCadilha14
Eu popoppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
@Tom-mc6fm
Got comped front row seats in Atlantic City....he left you speechless. RIP Mr Davis
@tonyocch1
The best entertainer of all time!!!