Gonna Do Great Things: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.
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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 wasrelying 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.Publishers WeeklyWhen Sammy Davis Jr. died, the New York Times called him "an incandescent figure whose glow is still with us." In exhaustive detail, Fishgall, who has written biographies of Jimmy Stewart and Burt Lancaster, traces the development of Davis's star as it rose luminously in the mid-20th century and burned out precipitously in the 1960s. Relying on Davis's autobiographies Yes, I Can and Why Me? as well as on interviews with Davis's family, friends and professional colleagues, Fishgall offers a remarkably honest, yet sympathetic, portrait of the performer's extraordinary life and work. From his birth to show folks in Harlem in 1925, Davis appeared destined for the stage and stardom. By the time he was four, Davis was already a part of his father's vaudevillian traveling show. Davis's own career eventually blossomed, and he found himself starring in Vegas shows, partying with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra and a host of others, and making a name for himself through a recording, film and television career that propelled him into the entertainment spotlight that he had always craved. Fishgall points out that Davis's neediness caused him to spend lavishly on himself and others, and his need for love led him to surround himself with women and other friends. Fishgall expertly chronicles Davis's life, including his stint in the army, his relationships with the Rat Pack, his several marriages, his deep involvement in the civil rights movement and his tumultuous descent into drug and alcohol addiction. While Fishgall's admirably candid biography presents Davis with all his shortcomings, it warmly reveals Davis's generosity, his exceptional talent and his remarkable legacy. (Oct.) Forecast: With In Black and White by Wil Haygood coming in the same month (Forecasts, Sept. 8), these two excellent books will hopefully produce a synergy from which both will benefit. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part One: Growing Up in the Country of Show Business Chapter 1: Harlem and the Road Chapter 2: The Forty-four-year-old Midget Part Two: Breaking All the Rules Chapter 3: Fort Warren Chapter 4: "Hungry and Mad" Chapter 5: The Big Time Chapter 6: A Crucial Year Part Three: Top of the Heap Chapter 7: The Return Chapter 8: Mr. Wonderful Chapter 9: Kim, Harry, and Loray Chapter 10: Big Screen, Little Screen Chapter 11: Lovers and Friends Chapter 12: The Rat Pack Chapter 13: May Chapter 14: "A One-man Band" Chapter 15: Pallies Chapter 16: Golden Boy Chapter 17: "On the Seventh Day, He Works" Chapter 18: A Book, a Film, and a TV Series Chapter 19: That's All! Part Four: An Aging Hipster from La-La Land Chapter 20: Sad Times and Swinging Times Chapter 21: Altovise Chapter 22: Entering the Seventies Chapter 23: The Candy Man and the Man in the White House Chapter 24: An Open Marriage Chapter 25: A New Showroom, a New Show, and an Old Musical Chapter 26: Difficult Adjustments Part Five: "Now I Like Me" Chapter 27: "I've Never Felt Better" Chapter 28: Turning Sixty Chapter 29: "The Alternative Is Something Else Again" Chapter 30: "I Don't Think This Is the WayI'm Supposed to Go Out" Epilogue Afterword Notes Bibliography Filmography Discography Index
