Download Free Sammy Davis Jr Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Sammy Davis Jr and write the review.

YES I CAN is the self-portrait of one of the extraordinary men of our time, who became a figure of controversy because he dared to live his life not as a Negro but as a man. "I've got to be a star like another man has to breathe," write Sammy Davis. "I've got to get so big, so powerful, so famous that the day will come when they'll look at me and see a man, and then somewhere along the way they'll notice he's a Negro." YES I CAN is: "...one of the most candid, engrossing and important American autobiographies of our time," wrote the N.Y. Herald Tribune Book Editor and Critic Maurice Dolbier. "One of the really great autobiographies ever written." Brother Judd . Audible.com
A major reappraisal of the life of legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., Gonna Do Great Things is at once an intimate portrait and an exuberant celebration of a wholly American icon. Through his multifaceted talent and personality, Sammy became one of the most magnetic and contentious figures in modern entertainment history. His outstanding talents as a dancer, singer, actor, impressionist, and comedian, combined with his close association with megastars and his interracial marriage, made him a celebrity in the truest sense. Born in Harlem in 1925, Sammy debuted onstage with Will Mastin's vaudeville troupe when he was only three years old. He was an instant hit, and his talent propelled him into one of the most luminous entertainment careers of his generation. No one could please a crowd like Sammy, whose overwhelming energy and infectious humor exhilarated audiences for sixty years. However, Sammy's life was not without hardship, and his high-spirited attitude often masked a fragile ego. From an impoverished, broken home, he lacked even a single day of formal education, and the rigors of his blossoming show business career denied him the traditional pleasures of childhood. Racism constantly affected his life, particularly when he joined the army in 1943. Because he refused to acknowledge any race-related restrictions, his very existence became a political statement. An active member of the Civil Rights movement and America's first African-American superstar, Sammy paved the way for other black entertainers. As a charter member of the Rat Pack, Sammy spent the 1950s and 1960s basking in an image of "cool" and endearing himself to the public. But by the 1970s he was relying on cocaine and alcohol, flirting with Satanism, indulging in scandalous sexual behavior, and becoming the punchline of jokes on Saturday Night Live. Though his fans still adored him, his performances suffered. A four-pack-a-day smoker, Sammy succumbed to cancer when he was sixty-four, shortly after celebrating six decades in the spotlight. Renowned biographer of Hollywood giants Jimmy Stewart, Burt Lancaster, and Gregory Peck, Gary Fishgall brings an actor's and director's understanding of the entertainment industry to Sammy's complicated existence. Meticulously researched and filled with insights gathered from interviews with those who knew Sammy best, Gonna Do Great Things reveals the fascinating and controversial life of this beloved entertainer.
Weaving a compelling tapestry of the life and times and ups and downs of legendary superstar Sammy Davis Jr., and his family, the only daughter of Sammy and Swedish actress May Britt presents a universal portrait of a delicate and often complicated father-daughter relationship. Photos.
With wit and candor, rage and integrity, Sammy Davis, Jr. reflects on the dark side of his superstardom--his fear of losing his appeal, alcoholism, his million-dollar tax debt, alienation from his family and the black community, and his shaky political af
Sammy Davis, Jr was one of the most recognisable showbiz entertainers of the twentieth century: dancer, singer, hyperactive cabaret performer, film star and hard-drinking, high-living bad-boy member of Las Vegas's legendary Rat Pack along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford. But his story was also one of contradiction and compromise: a black man trying to make his name as a star during a time of racial prejudice and even segregation, Sammy Davis, Jr never came to terms with the complexities of his situation. He endured patronising humiliation from his fellow Rat Pack members; he marched with Martin Luther King while, notoriously, cozying up to President Nixon and conducting numerous affairs with white women. Above all, he made his name as a vaudevillian entertainer by arguably accepting the role of honorary white man. This is the definitive portrait of the Rat Pack's most interesting and maverick member.
Description: Altovise Davis died on March 14, 2009 before she could address the controversies that surrounded her past. At the time, she was embroiled in a legal battle over the rights to the Sammy Davis, Jr. Estate, and a tug-of-war over a film to be made about her famous husband's legacy. There was more at stake, however, than just the rights to a motion picture and the murky issues surrounding her husband's estate. There was another battle, another tragic story unfolding - the one which no one ever spoke of.
This is the story of a colossal talent's gutsy rise from the Black ghetto to the top ranks of show business - and society - on two continents. Experience the glamour and the glitz, the tears and tantrums as Sammy's best friend, Silber, relives 22 years of their intimate journey together.
Sammy Davis Jr., The Writer Who Saved His Estate recounts the stormy journey of a Christian author who teamed up with the widow of a Rat Pack legend to create musical films for children, only to be caught up in one of Hollywood's longest and most vicious battles over an estate. In this exclusive account, Pamela Sherrod delivers the untold story of the shocking events that took place behind the scenes, and the personal triumphs and tragedies that led to the final outcome of the Sammy Davis Jr. estate. This book, with its unusual spiritual viewpoint, is the result of three unlikely stories that, not only collided, but significantly changed history - that of the late Sammy Davis Jr., his widow, Altovise, and the writer. Breaking her silence, Pamela documents the experiences that would haunt her for years. Overcoming the fear and repercussions of writing about famous figures, she takes on an even more formidable challenge: the paralyzing and deep sense of guilt she carried for years over the tragic deaths of Altovise Davis and her fiance. Pamela was initially introduced to Mrs. Davis to help write her autobiography. Altovise, who inherited over $5 million of debt after Sammy's death, was struggling to harness the ravages of alcoholism, financial destitution and legal battles that were complicated still further by the manipulation of partners who nearly took over Sammy's estate. Hoping to give Altovise a sense of independence and accomplishment, Pamela partnered with her, in a common goal to impact young people's lives. Altovise wanted to fulfill a request made by her late husband. Sammy had never attended school and couldn't read or write until he was an adult. This had plagued his life and left him vulnerable to unscrupulous partners and the mismanagement of his estate. Sammy had asked Altovise to reach out to kids and urge them to get an education. Pamela, who was looking for ministry work, wanted to inspire and encourage young people with stories of miracles. Together, the two women created a screenplay for a musical that would fulfill their mutual goals. The story, itself, was about a talented family of traveling musicians who had a message of their own to deliver. Their journey, however, was filled with unexpected challenges. Unfortunately, like the very characters that they created, Pamela and Altovise were headed toward a misadventure, one full of tragedies that would test their own resolve. With the release of her book, Pamela shares the revelations that would finally give her the courage to finish the work that they began. In retracing her steps, she'd realize that her actions hadn't led to the losses that they experienced, but to the final outcome of the Sammy Davis Jr. estate.