At the age of three Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father and Will Mastin as the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally. After military service Davis returned to the trio.
Davis became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, he lost his left eye in an automobile accident, and several years later, he converted to Judaism.
As an African-American, Davis was the victim of racism throughout his life and was a large financial supporter of the Civil Rights movement. When Sammy Davis Jr. Took a swim in the pool at the New Frontier hotel casino in Las Vegas in 1952, they drained the pool when he was done.
He suffered a lot of acts of racism; however he knew how to always keep a smile going on. No more racism, please.
