SAMMY DAVIS JUNIOR impersonates his peers. 

You hit the nail on the head! Sammy is the greatest entertainer that ever lived!!!

So true and just because of the times and his color he wasnt/didnt get the recognition he deserved...sad:(

john boone Its even sad to see how hard he tried to fit in with his straight hair and the way he talks like a white man and not his own race, he felt really bad that he had to do that to get along and make a living and that his people couldnt see that was all he was doing, he wasnt abandoning them.

john boone I think that's a crock- people are people. Looking and talking one way or another that should have nothing to do with what color you are. Saying he talked like a white guy to make a living is just non-sense. He talked how he wanted to talk, and was uniquely himself. Expecting a person to act one way or another due to their color is in itself racist. Music is universal, it has to do with taste...NOT COLOR. Ray Charles was told country music was "white mans music" but Ray said "music is music, it's about what you like and what you feel... I like country music and I can FEEL country music... I can relate to the stories and I think the fans will too". So he recorded an album called "Modern Sounds in Country/Western Music" . It was his top selling album of all time, and it is still revered today as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album stayed number one on the pop charts for 14 weeks. In 2004 it was chosen as one of the top selling internet albums. 5 songs on the album hit number one, 3 others in at least the top five, 3 more in at least the top twenty, and the remaining songs on the album hit in at least the top sixty. That means every song on the album charted in the top 100 and that is almost unheard of!! I sincerely took offense to what you just said. People are people and need to stop being separated! White guys sing the blues, white guys rap, white guys sing R&B, and black guys sing country music, rock and roll and pop music. Charley Pride who is a "black" country singer is one of RCA's best selling artists of all time!! It doesn't matter what color you are! Thinking people of different colors should be doing one type of music or another is childish and stereotypical- it is up to the person as to what they feel!!! The same goes for Sammy, he did what he wanted to do, acted the way he wanted to act, and he sang for all people as a whole. He didn't care what color his fans were as long as they liked what he did. He had all colors of fans as well he should have. The man was as talented as anyone has EVER been PERIOD!!! Saying the he "felt bad" about the way he was and was just doing what he had to do to "get along" it complete BULLSHIT!! Sammy Davis was a huge in the civil rights movement, was a very public part of the '63 march on Washinton, refused to sing in clubs or casinos that segregated... the list goes on and on... The man wanted to get along alright, he wanted everyone to get along as one and not be racially separated!!! I happen to agree with him, and respect him very much as an entertainer, and for his efforts in the civil rights movement. My admiration for him has nothing to do with his color, it comes from my reverence for the MAN he was, the wonderful HUMAN BEING he was... That is the way everyone should be.

john boone Your opinion is poppycock, Sammy just loved to perform - that's all! Virtuoso-level performers all run counter to their contemporaries in thought, perception and social dexterity, they have to - less they be average too! That his worldly outlook wasn't what the average black or white person saw, speaks to the alluring uniqueness of such an exquisite talent.

He was embodiment of "master of all trades".

Connor you got that spot on man. That's why he outshone everyone else in the rat pack

An obsolute genius of any and all art's of entertainment, in my honest opinion the best of the rat pack, the guy literally had everything, long may he live in our hearts and mind's.

Judy Garland ... Jacqueline of all trades

Jack of all trades master of all…

im jealous!

Agreed. Amazing in everything he ever did. My parents were lucky enough to have seen him at The Palladium but I never did unfortunately. I loved that the fact that he used to say that: I'm the only black one eyed Jew, married to a white woman - and still looking for a gimmick!

No Truer words were ever typed!!

+Rhythmista That's certainly not true. Sammy was a great artist that may never be replicated but it's not fair nor true to compare his talent to all of today's music industry. Every culture brings something new and beautiful to music. I don't know you're background but I hope you're just exaggerating to make a point.

pine2apple It is true., and i'm not exaggerating.. I'm speaking in terms of Hollywood talent. Most of today's actors can't dance or sing.. SD jr. Not only danced and sang, but he played drums and piano like an accomplished musician. I've been a professional touring and session musician (drummer, vocalist, rhythm guitar) for the past 26 years and have played music my entire life. I know real talent when i see it, and this man certainly had it. Yes, there are exceptions in today's industry where you'll have a handful who were just as talented, but my point is that most are not. We all know that it's all about sex in today's industry, and talent is secondary.. Very different in the past.. With that being said, i think my background speaks for itself..

Okay, you just wrote all of today's music industry but you were only referring to music in Hollywood. I can say you are right in that a lot of music in the mainstream US market is about selling music and not about talent but it really just depends on your perspective and where you are in the world. Talent is subjective anyway, I went to one of the top 5 music colleges in the world and almost every student and professional has had a different interpretation of talent. All in all, the metric we use to measure talent is baseless, to some extent.

Actually lots of talent in Hollywood can sing and dance, but Hollywood doesn't make musicals anymore so you'd never know it. I mean if they'd never done a film version of Le Mes, American audiences wouldn't even know Hugh Jackman could sing. Lamenting the good old days because audiences and general tastes have changed is delusory, because it simply means that people who possess those talents today simply aren't marketed to the public as they once were. You've got to stumble across them by luck, or go that extra mile to find them

No offense, but when you hear yourself make a comment like that, you are officially old! The other day I said " you call that music" and realized, at some point, I had changed from a man with a future, to a man with a past. I'd been in denial!

hobbies spiele This "spain" singing and dancing act just before the announced impersonations was a friendly nod at the great Jerry Lewis

Hannes Nemec Thanks a lot! Did _Sammy_ refer to a certain *Jerry Lewis* movie here?

hobbies spiele Not sure, but I think it's a skit either out of the "Colgate Comedy Hour with Dean and Jerry" or "The Jerry Lewis Show" from the sixties. Jerry is singing playback and doing his iconic faces. The dancing surely is more Sammy than Jerry, who never took dancing lessons himself.

in a skit that Jerry often do is one he sing as Spanish singerdancer or sometime time a opera singer which I had seen Sammy do a Jerry singing opera.

Additional impersonations he did; or, a, general, yet, partial listing of impersonations which were in his repertoire: Brooke Benton; James Cagney; Errol Flynn; Ronald Coleman; Nat King Cole; Laurence Olivier; Willie Bess; Bill Robinson; Arthur Prysock, Lou Rawls; Gene Kelly; Jerry Butler; Joe Turner; Gene Chandler; Jack Cassidy; Fred Astaire; Dean Martin; Frank Sinatra; Rod Steiger; Jerry Lewis; Georgie Jessel; Marlon Brando; Cary Grant; Bing Crosby; Sam Cooke; Louis Armstrong; Jackie Wilson; James Brown; Ray Charles; Johnny Mathis; Robert Goulet; Steve Lawrence; Paul Robeson; Brock Peters; Cab Calloway; Harry Belafonte; Ben E. King; Clyde McPhatter; Frankie Lymon; Billy Eckstein, Frankie Lane; Vaughn Monroe; Michael Jackson; Jimmy Stewart; Frank Gorshin; George Jessel; Edward G. Robinson; Errol Flynn; Steve Lawrence; Tony Bennett; Perry Como; Bill "Bojangles" Robinson; Louis Armstrong; Fred Astaire; Gene Kelly; John Wayne; Humphrey Bogart; Basil Rathbone; Laurence Olivier; Cary Grant; Tony Martin; Jack Jones; Louie Prima; Al Martino; Maurice Chevalier; Donald O'Connor; Bill Cosby, Mel Torme; Tommy Davidson; Wayne Newton; Charles Laughton; Bill Medley; Elvis Presley; Anthony Newley;...&, numerous Black performers, mostly unknown to White audiences;...ETC., Etc.; etc. Please Note: This list does Not include impersonations he also did of other types of artists, like: musicians; dancers, actors, personalities, celebrities, politicians; &, those of both genders;...etc.; for example: Buddy Rich; Lionel Hampton; Eydie Gorme; Ella Fitzgerald; Sarah Vaughn; Nancy Wilson; Diahann Carroll; Tom Jones; Gregory Hines; Howard "Sandman" Sims; Ben Vereen; Muhammad Ali; Savion Glover; Cab Calloway; Lena Horne; Della Reese; The Nicholas Brothers; Liza Minelli; Peter Lawford; J.F.K., Jr.; Gene Krupa; Joe E. Lewis; Sugar Ray Robinson; Jack E. Leonard; Jack Benny; Bob Hope; Doris Day; Julie London; Tony Orlando; Desi Arnez; Jackie Gleason; Groucho Marx; George Sanders; James Mason; Richard Burton; June Lockheart; George Kirby; George Wallace-(the comic); &, Bob Fosse; LeVar Burton; Harry Belafonte; Sidney Poitier; Jimmy Cagney; Boris Karloff; Ronald Coleman; and, of course: "Amos; &, Andy"; amongst other examples, as well. Lastly, for now;...in addition, to the above, forementioned; he also did these, in mixed forms, combining: dance, song, comedy, assorted humor forms; commentary; political criticism; acting, performance, tap, musical theater; vaudeville; film, tv, stage entertainment stylisms; musical conducting; Lounge Act entertaining; Bway showcasing; Vegas Show Stylings; &, purer forns of stripped back theatricalities; etc.; all together, into one blended form.

+Steven McBrien ....would you pay to see him perform if he was still alive? If you answer yes, then you'd probably vote for that scumbag Hillary Clinton.

+lenspaulding that comment confuses me...

W Thomas ?

guess you're easily pleased--looked like crap to me

Congratulations.

whatt ever MO RON......

lenspaulding And what, pray tell, would be considered amazing to you? You have no respect and therefore you deserve none.

MChipsTV Sammy Davis Jr. gave me the creeps....and he probably did to you too......darn Liar!!!

brez9091 Well said he was ahead of his time in many ways.White folks an black loved him,I love an miss him.You ever seen All in the family.He kissed Archie..lol omg the good old days

brez9091 _ Hell yeah. Sammy michael prince fats duke sarah ella barry white etc etc etc. .oh but SAMMY ! Nuff said.

Hieno Kaveri Geesh. What a loser.

brez9091 A great tribute!

WOW ! What century do you live in ?

Have to agree, Sammy is up there. Not many of today's artists can physically play instruments (drums, guitars, piano etc), do impressions, tap, comedy, sing (without auto-tune) and captivate an audience without frills. Artists from yesteryear, had to have those qualities.

Force of nature ...Miss Sammy ....Rip

Sinatra recognized that and called him that - he truly was inspired by Sammy ...everyone with talent was - Soul Peace - forever Sammy...

yeah. you would never have caught him doing hip hop rap crap just like you never would've caught the late great ray charles or nat king cole doing that shiite!

If I were to describe the scope of this man's talent / genius to someone who did not know him, they simply would not believe it, and you couldn't blame them as Sammy was a phenomenon.

Yeah, youre right

You're right.

Barakx8 talented yes extremely so. better dancer than fred astaire???????? never!!

But it was you who said he was better not me. I felt after your comment that in my opinoin fred was a better dancer. Sammy was great no disputes. But if you put a view forward surely you must expect opposition?

it is just two different styles..

good question..

They are there, but now you have to really look for them. We live in a completely different time now, and there aren't the platforms out there for performers who had the versatility of a Sammie Davis Jr; nor I daresay a large audience that would truly appreciate them . The idea of class in the 21st century is on life support.

Nobody these days has this kind of talent. You might have one person who can sing and another who can dance. But you don't have any entertainers anymore. There haven't been any new ones since the 60s/70s. These types of great entertainers are gone now.

Jamie Foxx is worthy of the comparison

Yes, and even though my stepfather was a racist back then he liked watching Sammy, everybody did.

SoulVibez yes and thank God for that!

SoulVibez ~> We still can see his genius as a performer on reruns of such shows as Make Room For Daddy, I Dream Of Jeannie and Carol Burnett Show as well as his brilliance as a dramatic actor on shows such as The Rifleman and Ben Casey. And despite his success and wealth he remained humble. When other stars of his stature would just sit down and talk to Johnny Carson, Sammy always insisted on performing a song even though he didn't have to. He had a lifetime love affair with his audience. ☺ ♥

It's not that they aren't there; it's just that we've become such a niche society, there is no longer a category or a platform for the "all around" entertainer except maybe on a youtube channel.

Nelson Smith and now it's all about video production and editing anyway Not what one man can do on his own, live

They did it after for Dean and Frank - I lived in So Nevada for nearly 20 years - miss that

They did? Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it. Blessings!

they also just do it for Jerry Lewis in August cause that was where his telethon was held for many years. Funny that these 4 superstars was so closely associated together. Even Dean and Jerry after being apart for so many years these 4 man was always close to each other in many many ways. They all got the light dimmed on the strip.

Also Jerry and Sammy was very close friends. just like Dean and Frank was. Sammy could do a very good impersonation of Jerry too.

Not the prince, the KING.

me too :)

+Yuki Iwama ....yes Sammy is talented ....if you have sh-it for Brains.

lenspaulding it's all relative, isn't it? :)

+Yuki Iwama ....yes of course Yuki. Everything is.

Dee H this is 100% truth.

Completely unique styles. Also - Sinatra was a great actor - Much to his own frustration, Sammy was a lightweight in that category. But why compare them at all. How very stupid of you.

Yank ee I think they were saying as an overall talent Sammy was better

***** "extraordinary talent" my ass (LOL)

***** What year was this? I know this was way before my time, but it speaks to me. Thanks for uploading. Just getting to know who this talented man was in these past few minutes.

My Two Cents It was some time in the early-mid sixties.

***** Oh shut up Corporalhenshaw.

My Two Cents it speaks to you? yes he was talented ....if you have shit for brains.....now go smoke some more pot....(What a Stoner) LOL

totally agree. :D

Calvin Maynard you sound like an old lard ass drunk for pete's sake!! (LOL)

lenspaulding well I'm 18, 5'10", slim, and don't drink (yet), so wrong on all counts I'm afraid.

***** not in my state.

***** But it's not cool drinking. I look forward to Rat Pack style drinking, with bourbon and whiskeys in short glasses, not vodka jello and tequila shots.

Denis May That had to be amazing!!!

Hi Ron, There was supposed to be a Grand Piano in the Orchestra but they couldn't fit it in so Sammy made them carry it in just to show he wasn't kidding. A real priceless memory. Sammy had more talent in his little finger than half of Hollywood.

lol what? Are you okay?

+lenspaulding why do you keep coming back to spread hate on every comment here? We get it. You don't like Sammy Davis Jr...... Live and let live pal, just because people have different tastes to you, doesn't mean you have to hate on them.

+Christian Brown ...yes you're right. Just can't get over the fact that anyone can find him entertaining.

+Rhythmista ....true talent? What is talent really? I'll bet you every person in this Country has some type of talent. And if your Life is that trivial that you watch things like this on your computer.....may I suggest you donate your time to the truly needy in this country!

+lenspaulding It's funny 'cause you're soo wrong! Lol...

crankbv1 What a perfect description of this amazing man.

Try reading his book, and doing some research on the man's history and contributions to the world and it's history . You may have a different prospective... He would be on a short list of true giving & loving people.

An eternity and beyond.