born Dec. 8, 1925, New York, N.Y., U.S. died May 16, 1990, Los Angeles, Calif. Davis American singer, dancer, and entertainer. At the age of three Davis began performing in vaudeville with his father and uncle, Will Mastin, in the Will Mastin Trio. Davis studied tap dancing under Bill Bojangles Robinson but never received a formal education. After serving in the U.S. Army he became the central figure of the Mastin Trio, not only singing and dancing but also playing trumpet, drums, piano, and vibraphone; moreover, he was an accomplished mime and comedian. He encountered virulent racial prejudice early in his career, but he endured to become one of the first black stars to achieve wide popularity. Along with his extremely successful nightclub career, Davis was a popular recording artist, and he was successful on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful (1956) and in a 1964 revival of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy, and in films, including The Benny Goodman Story (1956), as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess (1959), and Sweet Charity (1969). He also appeared in a series of motion pictures with friends such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, including Ocean's Eleven (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962), and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964). Davis wrote two autobiographical books Yes I Can (1965) and Why Me? (1989).
DAVIS, SAMMY, JR.
Meaning of DAVIS, SAMMY, JR. in English
Britannica English vocabulary. Английский словарь Британика. 2012