Laugh in sammy davis jr biography

Born December 8, 1925, in New York, N.Y.; died of cancer May 16, 1990, in Los Angeles, Calif.; son of Sammy (a dancer) and Elvira (a dancer; maiden name Sanchez) Davis; married Loray White (a singer), 1958 (divorced, 1959); married May Britt (an actress), November 13, 1960 (divorced, 1968); married Altovise Gore (a dancer), May 11, 1970; children: (second marriage) Tracey, Mark (adopted), Jeff (adopted); (third marriage) Manny (adopted).

Religion: Jewish. Military service: U.S. Army, Special Services, 1943-45; writer, producer, director, and performer in camp shows.

Sammy Davis, Jr.'s death in 1990 robbed American audiences of a favorite entertainer, a star showman in the oldest vaudeville tradition.

Davis was a well-rounded performer of the sort found only rarely these days: he could sing, he could act, he could dance, and he could make people laugh with clowning and impersonations. Davis's long career in show business was even more remarkable because he managed to break color