Photo: Allan warren / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Sammy Davis Jr. belongs in a category of his own. Performing onstage from age four, he became a complete entertainer who could sing, dance, act, and play jazz with equal command. What moves me most is the sheer will behind it: thriving at the top of American show business as a Black man in that era, and continuing to perform even after losing an eye, takes a ferocity most talents never possess. The Spingarn Medal, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Hollywood star, all of it reads as evidence of that drive. I have always loved performers who give everything rather than merely the gifted, and Sammy gave everything.
Overview
Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age four, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally. His film career began in 1933.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Name (Japanese)
- サミー・デイヴィスJr.
- Reading
- さみー・でいゔぃすJr.
- Born
- December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Ox
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 165 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / autobiographer / jazz musician / stage actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1968 Spingarn Medal
- 2001 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 1987 Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Television actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.