Sammy Davis, Jr. has to be the most extraordinary entertainer ever to set foot on the Las Vegas Strip. Being black, and the trail-blazing pioneer for other black entertainers, he had more to prove and overcome than any other entertainer ever to take on that chal-lenge.
I have often wondered how Sammy could be so gifted and talented, yet so giving, free hearted and down to earth. If anyone could afford to be obnoxious and arrogant then it was Sammy Davis, Jr. His performances were so outstanding that he broke the color barrier in Las Vegas; white people were going to come see him dance and hear him sing.
He could sometimes be so generous, he would literally give himself into the poor house. He was the kind of guy who would be dead broke with a $1,000,000 back tax bill, and go out and borrow $25,000 against future bookings and would donate it to a charita-
ble cause.
Sammy literally paved the way for Black entertainers to get into Las Vegas where the big bucks were being paid. He single-handedly used his influence to get more blacks hired on the strip, into good paying jobs, often times at great risk to his own career and livelihood
If you examine Sammy’s track record, you will find that it was not black people from whom he made the bulk of his money. Sammy’s audiences and fans were by and large white. Again, I must point out that he had little to lose by not supporting black causes because it was not black support that paid his salary. Yet in spite of this, he made himself more than available to aid and help black causes with both his pocketbook and his most valuable time.
In summary – Sammy we thank you. We are eternally grateful. The heavens are truly blessed that you are now in their midst. When you departed this life on planet Earth, Las Vegas did something in your memory that they had never done before or since: they turned off the lights for a brief moment in honor of your memory. Well, what can I say about
Brother.
Las Vegas? It’s got class – because they know a class act when they see one. Rest In Peace