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Samuel George Davis Sr. (December 12, 1900 – May 21, 1988) was an American dancer and the father of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
Sammy Davis Sr. in photograph of the Will Mastin Trio c. 1935
with Sammy Davis Jr. and Will Mastin * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Sammy Sr. Vaudeville performers American male film actors African-American male actors African-American male dancers African-American dancers American male dancers Actors from Wilmington, North Carolina 1900 births 1988 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors Sammy Davis Jr.
Samuel George Davis Sr. (December 12, 1900 – May 21, 1988) was an American dancer and the father of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
Early life
Davis was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Rosa B. Taylor (1870–1957) and Robert Davis (1868–1948). He and his former wife Elvera Sanchez were both dancers in a vaudeville troupe. The couple split up when their son Sammy Jr. was three. Davis took custody of his son, who then went into show business with his father. He and Will Mastin, the leader of the dance troupe, taught Sammy Jr. how to dance and they performed together as the Will Mastin Trio. Sammy Jr. once stated, "When I was nine I told my father, 'I can outdance you'. 'Oh yeah? What makes you think that?' he asked. 'Cause you taught me everything I know'. 'Yeah, but I didn't teach you everything ''I'' know.'"Career
Davis began dancing early in life, and as a young man joined Will Mastin to form a dancing troupe. Soon Sammy Jr. joined the act and they became known as the Will Mastin Trio. The three appeared in the 1956 Broadway musical '' Mr. Wonderful''. Davis also appeared in two movies, '' Sweet and Low'' (1947) with the Will Mastin Trio, and '' The Benny Goodman Story'' (1956), in which he played the bandleader and arrangerFletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musi ...
.
Death
Davis died May 21, 1988, inBeverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...
, at the age of 87, of natural causes
In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...
, two years before the death of his son, Sammy Davis Jr.
References
External links
*Sammy Davis Sr. in photograph of the Will Mastin Trio c. 1935
with Sammy Davis Jr. and Will Mastin * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Sammy Sr. Vaudeville performers American male film actors African-American male actors African-American male dancers African-American dancers American male dancers Actors from Wilmington, North Carolina 1900 births 1988 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors Sammy Davis Jr.