Davis, Sammy, Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr. was born in Harlem, New York City, on December 8, 1925. His vaudevillian father was a lead dancer in Will Mas tin’s “ Holiday in Dixieland ” troupe; his mother— Elvera (Sanchez) Davis —was the act’s lead chorus girl. When Sammy was two, his sister Ramona was born. While their parents were on the road, Ramona was brought up by maternal relatives, and Sammy was placed in the care of his paternal grandmother, Rosa B...