close Your Eyes And Conjure Up An Image Of A Typical Sammy Davis Jr. Fan. Your Picture Probably Doesn't Resemble Me -- Especially When I First Became A Fan. I Was A 16-year-old White Male. But Then, What's So Unusual About That? Nothing About Sammy Was Typical -- Especially His Fans.

the Way I Met Him Wasn't Typical Either. It Was Probably My Unusual Fan Profile That Got Me Backstage At Caesar's In Vegas. It Was 1979. I Was In Vegas On A Vacation Weekend Sponsored By My Local Paper, The Cleveland Press. On The Flight Over, I Asked The Press Travel Editor If There Were Any Way I Could Meet Davis. He Smelled A Neat Human Interest Story And Pulled The Necessary Strings.

after Sammy's Performance That Night, I Was Escorted Backstage. He Came Out To Meet Me, Looking Spiffy In A Checkered Black And White Sport Coat And Black Trousers. He Shook My Hand And We Both Turned To The Photographer That The Editor Arranged To Have On Hand.

"put Your Arm Around Me Like You Know Me," Sammy Suggested. "i Already Do," I Responded. That Picture Hangs On My Wall Today, Autographed By The Man Himself--peace And Love, Sammy Davis, Jr.

i'm 43 Now And Sammy's Long Gone. But Those Five Minutes In 1979 Gave Me A Priceless Memory That My Kids Will Treasure Long After I'm Gone. Add Two More To That Universal Roster Of Fans.