Born in 1925, with a career that spanned over three decades, Sammy Davis Jr. was once considered, and still is considered in some circles as one of the best performers this country has ever known. Starting his career in his father’s acting troupe at the age of three, he was billed as “Silent Sam the Dancing Midget.” But as his talent grew, he was billed as “Little Sammy.”
Through his career, Sammy Davis Jr. faced racism for being both black and Jewish, but had exciting popularity among blacks and whites alike. Widely known for his run-ins with the famed “Rat Pack” (not to be mistaken with the “Brat Pack,” who were nowhere near as cool), Sammy built up a career as a Las Vegas performer headlining shows at the Sands hotel.
With a voice that is solely recognizable as his own, Sammy Davis Jr. turned out many hits throughout the years, including chart topping performances of The Candy Man, from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 1972. But one of my favorite songs by Sammy Davis Jr. is “You’re Nobody ‘Till Somebody Loves You.” This song just hits home in so many ways because it rings giant bells of truth.
“You’re nobody till somebody loves you. You’re nobody till somebody cares. You might be king, you might possess the world and its gold. But gold won’t bring you happiness, when you’re growing old.”
This is true in many aspects because you may have the world and you may have all the power, but what does it mean if no one cares about you on the outside? You will still feel empty no matter what you have if you don’t have anyone to share it with.
Another good song is “I’ve Gotta Be Me,” where he sings about how he just has to be himself and people can either take him or leave him.
“I’ll go it alone, that’s how it must be, I can’t be right for somebody else. If I’m not right for me, I gotta be free, I just gotta be free. Daring to try, to do it or die, I gotta be me.”
Looking back at the time period, this must have meant a lot to Sammy Davis Jr. because at the time, it was very hard to be a black performer who was popular with both blacks and whites throughout the country. Him singing a song about how he can’t be anything other then he is, is rather poetic when you think about it, because he was basically saying “This is who I am, I cannot change that. If you like me you like me, and if you don’t then you don’t.”
Sammy Davis Jr. was more than just a singer. He could dance and act, and has performed in Broadway shows such as Mr. Wonderful and Golden Boy, which was nominated for a Tony. Sammy Davis Jr. also had one of the lead roles in the original version of Oceans 11 and a few other “Rat Pack” movies. So aside from checking out Sammy Davis Jr. as a musician, you should check him out as an actor as well.
