Jazz great and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. was the coolest cat in the Rat Pack. He was known as someone who could do it all – sing, dance, play instruments, act, do stand-up and for his self-deprecating humor. But Sammy Davis first and foremost was a performer and entertainer until the day he died. Looking through old video footage you can see him come alive the second he hits that stage connecting with his audience.
After reuniting with Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with them and Liza Minnelli internationally, before he died of throat cancer in 1990. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and his estate was the subject of legal battles. It is hard to imagine that such a musical great once billed as the “greatest living entertainer in the world”, story ended the way that it did. His music will live on with us forever and he will be remembered always as an important part of our history.
