Soul Influencers – Sammy Davis, Jr.
father of the Triple Threat
2008-02-08
By Kevin Chico Gibbs
The famously bright neon lights on Las Vegas Boulevard have dimmed only eight times in the 57-year history of the famous strip -- The first entertainer, (and third person) so honored was Sammy Davis Jr. What was it about him that he deserved such a rare tribute? He’s been called a great entertainer. The truth is Davis was really much more. He is largely responsible for the careers and lifestyles enjoyed by so many modern-day Black performers. He was the first Black megastar excelling in every aspect of the entertainment arena; crossing racial divides and changing the way people perceived black artists.
Upon hearing of his passing in 1990 at the age of 64, his peers in entertainment, Milton Berle, Little Richard, and George Burns toasted Davis as the “World’s Greatest Entertainer.” These are tributes from his contemporaries of a 62-year career. Janet Jackson, hardly a contemporary and obviously a very young star who knew her history, called Davis, “The Martin Luther King of the entertainment industry.” Herself, an accomplished singer, dancer, actor, it was a proper expression of respect for a man who epitomized the idea of being multi-talented.
Today, all-around-singers-turned-actor-turn-dancers are in no shortage and many are truly talented. It would be hard to imagine not having a Michael or Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, Beyonce, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Andre Benjamin, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Jamie Foxx, or Sean “Diddy” Combs, Will Smith, Mos Def, Ice Cube, Ne-Yo, or Brandy taking their turns among us. Before there was a Sammy Davis Jr., it might be easier than you think.
But Sammy Davis Jr. didn’t just do a lot of things; he did a lot of things very well. Great, in fact. Davis concurrently wore the hats of singer, dancer, comedian, and musician (he played drums, trumpet, and vibraphone). Additionally, he was an accomplished impressionist, actor, and author. All in an age of serious racial prejudice and with one eye.
But it was more than just having the talent, it was a calculated business decision to create a career that was about longevity. If one skill didn’t pay the bills, there was always another, and another.
Video: Soul Influencers - Sammy Davis, Jr.
He was born in Harlem in 1925 to a show business family. His father, a Black dancer/entertainer, Sammy Davis Sr. and his mother, a Puerto Rican vaudevillian dancer, Elvera Sanchez, separated when Sammy Jr. was a child. Davis Sr. and an “uncle,” Will Mastin, took Sammy on the road. He was a virtual sponge, learning the ropes of show business (dance lessons courtesy of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson), singing, and working an audience in the wings during the shows. Mastin soon brought the precocious three-year-old into the troupe. Soon, he was stealing the show.
Mastin renamed the troupe a trio and began to feature comedy in the act. Mickey Rooney encouraged Davis to include his impressions in the act. The additions improved the show and lead to bigger bookings. Davis was the stand out star. In later years, even as his father and uncle did less, Sammy continued to split the show’s earnings three ways - a split he maintained long after the elder showmen had left the show and up until their deaths. Consider that the next time you read about yet another member of Destiny’s Child.
Davis also significantly crossed over at a time when there weren’t many places black artists could expect to perform to a mixed audience and even fewer radio stations dedicated to “race” music. In marked contrast artists like Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, Mary J Blige, and Beyonce are promoted to multiple formats in radio without a second thought.
Davis didn’t gain his notoriety by being ordinary; It wasn’t easy being Sammy. His style was unique. His exaggerated phrasing, exclamations, and wide-jawed facial gesticulations were oftentimes seen as corny or “over the top,” as vocal performances go. His way of delivering a song and accentuating the lyrics, however, was born on stages often without microphones, and usually while simultaneously dancing or playing an instrument. And Davis’ control of tone, timing, and cadence were consummate.
Was he melodramatic and sometimes a little uncool in his overt coolness? Perhaps. Was he seamless and oftentimes just plain beautiful? Definitely. Would we dare call Vandross, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, or Patti LaBelle “over the top” today? Sammy made certain forms of histrionics the standard by which we judge vocal range.
Amazingly, of the 50 plus albums and 35 charting singles he completed between 1955 and 1982, he recorded in genres that included jazz, pop, show tunes, folk music, and blues. The breadth of his work is astounding and places him in a stratosphere all his own.
There were the downsides. He endured a famous photo hugging then President Nixon (not exactly a hero to many Black Americans). His second marriage was to Swedish actress Mai Britt culminated in death threats and fear for their children’s lives. Many were troubled by what some saw as a mascot-like membership in The Rat Pack that subjected him to being the butt of racial jokes onstage. Others in the Black community unfairly considered his high profile relationship to the corporate and entertainment elite as evidence of Davis being a sell-out and a compromiser.
What would they make then of today’s players? Russell Simmons, an icon of Black music, calls Donald Trump and captains of industry his close and personal friends. Jay-Z, equally respected as one of the greatest rap talents ever has deals with Budweiser, HP and Vegas hotels. 50 Cent hawks mineral water and sneakers. This kind of corporate extension of fame and influence is not only accepted but expected.
Contrary to his image, Davis was ardent about civil rights. Fortunately, this part of his legacy lives on in many of today’s entertainers who are much freer to speak their minds and pick up a torch for noble causes. Kanye West’s brave remarks during a telethon for the victims of the Katrina disaster come quickly to mind – unspeakable during Davis’ time but applauded by many today.
Ebony Magazine said at the time of his death, “In his life and death, the singer-dancer-actor-mimic marked a major milestone in our common cultural history. For he was a crossroads figure who almost single-handedly created a civil rights revolution in the entertainment world.”
We are witnessing a golden era of multi-talented performers being hatched from the Black community. Singers are tossing their hat in the actor’s ring (to the great chagrin of many trained actors), some dancers are doing likewise in the music arena, and others are extending themselves wherever they think they can fit in.
Sammy would surely be proud to see what has become of his legacy and we will wait for someone to come along and challenge his crown as the greatest entertainer who ever graced a stage – a stage of any kind.
Dizzy Gillespie once said of his musical hero, Louis Armstrong, “No him. No me.” Some of the most successful entertainers of our time might want to tip that same hat to Davis. No him. No them.
Kevin “Chico” Gibbs is a veteran music executive and critic. He covers classic music and throwback culture for Ebonyjet.com