Sammy Davis Jr & The Rat Pack

Performing was the only life that Sammy Davis Jr. knew. Sammy's parents were vaudevillians; his mother a Puerto Rican tap dancer, and Sammy Sr. was part of Will Mastin's dance troupe. When little Sammy was three his parents separated. Sammy Sr., not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on the road. Soon the boy joined the act, which became the Will Mastin Trio. (When a theater manager would object to such a young child performing, Sammy Sr. would hand Sammy Jr. a rubber cigar and bill him as "Silent Sam, the Dancing Midget.”)

 Show business and his father's protection largely shielded Sammy from racial prejudice while he was young, but he saw racism first hand when he answered the call to serve in the Army during WWII . "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color anymore. I could see the protection I'd gotten my whole life from my father and Will... It was as if I had been walking through a swinging door for eighteen year, a door that they had always secretly held open."

 The Army placed Sammy in a Special Services Unit, performing for his fellow troops as part of an integrated troupe, and found his talent lessened the sting of racism. When he was discharged the Will Mastin Trio began to perform together again, but Sammy's talent soon led him to solo success. The Trio remained close, however; Sam Sr. and Will often appeared with Sammy during his shows during the 50s and 60s. The trio are buried in the same cemetery in the Davis Family tomb.

 In 1954 Sammy was nearly killed in an automobile accident near San Bernardino, CA, returning to Los Angeles from Las Vegas. While recovering he was visited in the hospital by performer Eddie Cantor, who discussed the similarities between the struggles of the Jewish People and the African American experience. These conversations led to Sammy's conversion to Judaism. When Sammy appeared on TV's Colgate Comedy Hour, Cantor took some heat for embracing Sammy and mopping his brow after his number. When sponsors threatened to drop the show, Cantor responded by booking Sammy for two more weeks. 

In 1959 Sammy became part of Frank Sinatra's " Rat Pack  ". The group had never called themselves by that name; initially the referred to themselves as "The Clan", but that name was dropped when  Sinatra realized its racial insensitivity. They renamed themselves "the Summit". The popularity of the Rat Pack helped to break down segregation in the casinos of Las Vegas. When Sammy first began to headline in Vegas, he often wasn't allowed to stay or gamble in the casinos where he performed. The Rat Pack pointedly boycotted casinos with this policy, and when management saw the amount of business they were losing the policies were changed. The Rat Pack began to go their separate ways after Kennedy's assassination. Sammy and Dean Martin appeared together in the 1981 film Cannonball Run, and  Sinatra joined them for the 84 sequel. In 1987 the trio launched a 29 date tour, "Together Again", however Martin dropped out after four performances due to health reasons. Liza Minnelli replaced Deano and the tour was retitled "The Ultimate Event".

 Pain in Sammy's throat in 1989 was diagnosed as cancer. He refused the surgery that would have taken his voice, and succumbed to the disease in May of 1990. He was buried with his father and Will Mastin, wearing a watch he was given by  Sinatra at the end of the "Ultimate Event Tour". Sammy Davis Jr. is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6245 Hollywood Blvd.