Sammy Davis Jr.: My Father

by Tracey Davis, Dolores A. Barclay

The daughter of Sammy Davis, jr, and May Britt recounts her loving, but distant relationship with her father, and describes how she confronted him and they drew closer after she grew up.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Music

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1996

Reviews

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although for some there may be nothing new to read in this book, if you have read other books about Sammy, there is of course the family touch. Tracey Davis came to peace with her father and his relationship with her. As with many stars he was by far the ideal father figure or husband but the deprivations in his own childhood and early years gave him the drive to only work, work, work and be the best and know nothing else in this world. The hardships and struggles of Sammy Davis is near impossible to imagine in this day and age and yet they were all too much of a reality and many young black people still face similar hardships as Sammy. Something or someone watched over Sammy when he was nearly beaten to death in the army and continued to watch over him until his death. This book adds more pictures and a close voice to the man himself. Although it is short and sweet it is a worthwhile read and I'm glad I can add it to my collection of books of read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bittersweet account of a daugther's relationship with her father, one of the greatest performers of all time--Sammy Davis Jr. It was not easy for Tracey Davis to grow up in the shadow of her father's career, which often came before his family. However, years later Sammy and his daughter were given a second chance to get to know one another. This heartwarming novel provides great insight into Sammy's more personal life as a father.

[Miriam and Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

How horribly we treated people, for no other reason than the color of their skin! Things have improved somewhat, but not nearly enough.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read on the life of Sammy Davis Jr. from his daughter’s perspective.

[NON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly this is Tracey's attempt to recapture the father she barely knew/saw as a youngster but continuously tried to hold onto as he was slowly dying when she was older.

I easily connected with the book and enjoyed it thoroughly. Tracey retold her father's history with much consideration and compassion that humanizes this extraordinary superstar. While the majority of the book already been told before in his own autobiographies, she shares some private intriguing conversations between herself and him. At times, the writing-style gets too obviously deliberate when all the story-telling needed is some spontaneity. However, the photography content is excellent.

All in all, an intimate portrait of Sammy Davis Jr. through his daughter's eyes.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent my formative years in Las Vegas and to me and my family Sammy Davis was almost a god. Sammy Davis was so intertwined with Vegas lore and equal rights that even as a youngster I loved him. In 1978 or 79 when I was in Junior High and I got the rare opportunity to meet this amazing man. Mr. Davis was playing a USO concert in Nellis Air Force Base and I was at the concert. I was amazed at how tiny he was. The evening was unexpectedly cold and windy and a fighter pilot had given Sammy his jacket and it swamped Mr Davis (for those of you who don't know most fighter pilots are tiny men) and Mr Davis joked about the wind being able to carry him away.
After the show I overheard the base police radios saying Mr Davis and Sister Sledge (of "We are Family" fame) were going to the Officer's Club. So I convinced a small group of my friends to head that way. We waited and waited and curfew arrived and went and my group of friends went home and I was left waiting alone.
I was determined to meet Sammy Davis. Finally the MP (Military Police) got me and called my parents but they let me wait inside the officer’s club just outside the reception room. Sammy Davis came by and sat with me. He bought me a coke and talked to me like one would talk to a daughter. It was magical. We talked for quite a while and then some large lady came out and yelled at Sammy Davis and told him to get inside and he left. A short while later the MPs brought in my parents, they were livid with me but I didn't care. I had met Sammy Davis.
When I read this book I realized that in some way I probably reminded Sammy Davis of his own daughter. I am a few years younger than her and while he had a room full of celebrities and dignitaries to meet that night he was probably wishing he was with his own daughter.
In this book his daughter expresses a lot of pain at her father always being away and busy. I always wished I could tell her that he did miss and love her.
I enjoyed the book and need to read Sammy Davis’ biography too. I sure wish I hadn’t sold his autograph for some chocolate money in 1979.

[Wilson Trivino · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mr. Entertainer” was one of the many titles that singer Sammy Davis Jr. carried during his life. But probably the most important was that of father.
In Sammy Davis: A Personal Journey with My Father by Tracey Davis and Nina Bunche Pierce, his daughter Tracey reflects on his life and her relationship with her dad. Sammy Davis Jr. was always on the go and during the early years Tracey did not see much of her dad. However when he was forced to slow down because of the throat cancer, Sammy just wanted to be around his family. This book is based on those final conversation mixed in with never before seen personal family photos. Sammy was an avid photographer and captured many exciting moments.
As Sammy struggled to live to see his grandchild Sam, he recounted in vivid details his days as an entertainer that began at the ripe old age of 3. He played on Broadway, in Hollywood, but it is his years with the rat pack that made for the best known part of his life.
This book is a sweet tale of a love between father and daughter. It also shows the personal side of one of the best known entertainers, Sammy Davis.

[Rochonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really a daughter's tribute to her famous father. My question, really, is her motive for writing it. I suspect that she had grandiose motivations of her own, and wants to bask in the sunlight of her father's glory. I'm always suspicious of tell-alls like this, especially ones that tell "dirty" secrets of still living people who are close to the writers, such as things like the alcoholism of her step-mother, her brother's drug abuse and homelessness...and her own suicide attempt. Although I'm not a puritan by any means, I feel some of these things, for the author's own personal and emotional safety, would be better left told to a therapist... A little slow at times.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more for the topic rather than the writing style. The framing of the narrative seemed completely contrived and, therefore, off-putting. The story is fascinating but seems incomplete because it is the story of Sammy Davis, Jr. as told to the daughter who turns around and tells us. All the stories are framed by conversations between Davis and her father while he was dying. I think I would prefer to read about Sammy's life in his own words. I will check out his autobiography.

I will say that the pictures are phenomenal in this gorgeous book.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Tracey Davis' book about her father and his life and the time they spent together before his death, it was a lovely personal touch. He did have a very difficult life but had some happiness and gave a lot of people special memories.

[Kuriztee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love and and didn't hate it. Barely liked it.

[Tom Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy Davis

This was a wonderful and
Carefully written book and I enjoyed reading it
The book was great. I really enjoyed it.