Sammy is my all time favorite entertainer. He was a remarkable talent. I saw this man play every instrument in the band, he could hoof his behind off and he was a great singer. He was like a clean up man, anything left to be done, he could do it. Davis was a real hard worker and was determined to be a star. With his father and uncle he worked the best venues.

Davis was born into show business, his mother was a showgirl and Sammy Davis, Sr. was also in the business. Davis's grandmother raised him as a young child. At three years old Davis was already performing. Davis was often billed as a midget, because of the Child Labor Laws.

Davis was a real "cool cat," I think he put the "C" in cool. I remember "Birth of the Blues" being his signature song. No one could sing it like Sammy Davis, Jr. He took that one song and made it his own as he would later do with "Mr. Bojangles".

During the late 50's and early '60's he was really hot in Las Vegas. He helped open doors for Blacks on the Las Vegas Strip. On television in the 70's and 80's people really didn't get a chance to know who Davis really was. I think they never really knew how to market him for TV.

My fondest memory of Sammy Davis, Jr. was getting to sit in his Mercedes limo while he was in the Ivar Theater in Hollywood. He was there to see a play, "Ceremonies In Dark Old Men". I was all wide-eyed as the chauffeur offered me a coke and invited me to isit in the limo and drink it. It was the first limo I was ever in. Davis came back to the limo for his cigarettes and said, "Are you having fun kid?" I stumbled all over my words. He got his cigarettes and was gone in a flash. I just remembered his smile and that he smelled wonderful.