In this video Sammy Davis, Jr. imitates Nat King Cole as he yucks it up with the smoothing singing legend, and Nat King Cole really gets a kick out of Sammy's over the top impersonation of his singing style. Sammy Davis, Jr. had an amazing knack for impersonation and often incorporated that into his act.
Sammy Davis, Jr. was one of the finest tap dancer ever, as well as being one of hell of an all round entertainer. Starting on the boards of vaudeville as a child, Sammy grew up to become a dancer, singer, musician, actor and fine comedian. Arthur Silber, Jr. and Sammy Davis, Jr., starting in 1950, were best friends and business partners for over 25 years.
Their association involved shared success and shared failure, shared pain and shared joy, for when they started together Sammy was a relatively unknown player with the Will Maston Trio and then he became a international superstar in all facets of show business.
When Sammy broke the color barriers in New York and Las Vegas, with Frank Sinatra's help, Arthur was with him; when Sammy got in his major car accident Arthur was the first one at the hospital, when Sammy met with famed star Eddie Cantor to talk about coming on his show against the wishes of others because of racism, Arthur was with him as Eddie Cantor defied the powers that be.
Arthur Silber and Sammy Davis were best friends and business partners for over 25 years and this book tells stories about Sammy never before revealed and sets the record straight on other stories that have become accepted as real from repeated telling.
For more about Arthur Silber, Jr. go to www.sammysbook.com
About Sammy Davis, Jr: Me and My Shadow by Arthur Silber, Jr.
Read the definitive biography about one of the greatest entertainers in history and all the great celebrities he met and mingled with along the way. For over 23 years, beginning in 1949, Arthur Silber Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr. were practically inseparable. They were not only business partners but the closest of friends. As Sammy began to carve out his niche as a solo star, they celebrated the triumphs, suffered the insults and braved the dangers in a world about to go through dramatic changes.
From Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack to Kim Novak and Eddie Cantor, throughout the pages of this book you will read stories never told, see pictures never seen by the public, and get the real story from one who lived it with Sammy Davis Jr. New York, Las Vegas, London and all places in between are visited as Sammy and Arthur make a journey of personal and professional discovery in the midst of fun, great and scary times as millions come to fully appreciate the absolutely mind blowing talent of a man now popularly recognized by just one word, Sammy.
About Arthur Silber, Jr:
My first big professional break came when I was twenty and Sammy Davis Jr. hired me as his personal assistant and lighting director, a position I remained in for over twenty-two years. It would be impossible to measure everything I learned from Sammy about show business.
He was the consummate professional, a genius at his craft. During that time we became business partners and formed Samart Enterprises, which I still own to this day.
Some of the highlights of my years with Sammy were when I staged and produced his portions of three Royal Command Performances.
The first was for Queen Elizabeth in London 1960. Then, in 1961 I staged and produced Sammy's portion of Princess Grace Rainier Red Cross Gala in Monaco for their Royal Family, and finally, a performance for England's Queen Mother. Over the years I produced and co-produced many of Sammy's shows including Englandís Best TV Show of the year, 1961, Sammy Meets The British, and the following year Sammy Meets Girls. For eleven years I was company manager, production manager and lighting director for the Lettermen during the height of their popularity.
Since leaving the Lettermen twenty-two years ago I have been company manager, production manager and lighting designer and director for Vikki Carr. A few of the highlights of my years with Vikki have been as production design and lighting director of an NBC special, A Very Special Evening With Vikki Carr (that won the IRIS Award in 1979), the UNICEF All Children Show in Vienna, Austria and last, but certainly not least, production design of her shows for Presidents Jerry Ford, Jimmy Carter and a special show for President Reagan.
