Died On This Date (May 16, 1990) Sammy Davis, Jr. / World Renowned Entertainer
themusicsover Sammy Davis, Jr.
December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990
Sammy Davis, Jr. was an all-around entertainment icon who could wow audiences with his singing, dancing, comedy, impressions and his skills on the vibraphone, trumpet and drums. And if that weren’t enough, he was and Emmy and Academy Award winning actor. Closely associated with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, or the Rat Pack, he exemplified all that was cool in the ’60s. And in spite of the poor treatment he as an African-American received from casinos and nightclubs, he rose to the top, with devoted friend Sinatra coming to his defense whenever necessary. In 1954, Davis was in a serious car accident that resulted in his the loss of his left eye, which was replaced by a glass one. It was around this time that Davis became romantically involved with actress, Kim Novak. It has been reported that then head of Columbia Pictures, Harry Cohn, who was afraid the relationship would negatively impact the career of his most valuable starlet, arranged for the mob to kidnap Davis in order to scare him out of the relationship. In spite of all the setbacks thrown at him throughout his career, Davis continued to be one of the hardest working entertainers over the next three decades. But his toughest obstacle came in the form of throat cancer. Discovered in its early stages, the doctors told him that he could saved with surgery, but Davis opted against it, saying he would rather die than lose his voice. Davis sadly did die as a result of throat cancer on May 16, 1990. I am honored to have attended his funeral.
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