Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem on December 8, 1925, to Elvera Sanchez, a chorus girl, and Sam Davis, a dancer. He was raised by his father and grandmother. His father was in an act with Will Mastin, who was a close friend of the family. At a young age, Sammy joined the act as a singer and dancer. They were known as the “Will Mastin Trio”. It was not the best job, but it put food on the table.
Sammy tried to join the army when Pearl Harbor was bombed, but he was too young. The next year, he got in. He had to go through basic training eight times because there was not much room in the army for performers. He was put down and spit on in the army, but that made him want to perform more. Upon his discharge the trio got back together, and Sammy met Frank Sinatra for the first time.
Sammy wanted to be a big star and he realized this major difference between most black artists and the famous white artists. Most black artists came on stage played some songs, joked at or to each other, and left. The white artists talked with the audience. It was as if the black artists were not fit to talk to the audience. Sammy changed this at a nightclub in Hollywood. He “touched the audience”. This got him a record deal with Decca.
When Sammy was a rising star, he was driving from Las Vegas to L.A. He had an accident that took away his left eye. This gave him publicity and boosted his career. After this, he converted to Judaism and started to refer to God as “The Cat Upstairs”.
Sammy worked hard. You already know he had many talents. What you probably did not know is that he often worked on several projects at the same time. He never received an award, but he was merely a performer, not a writer.
The Rat Pack was made up of Sammy, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and several other actors who worked together on Ocean’s Eleven. While they were in Vegas shooting scenes they worked the Sands Hotel and Casino.
In 1960, he wed May Britt. They had Children, but Sammy’s devotion to his career led to their divorce.
Sammy was active in politics. He supported Democrats until 1972, when he ran to President Nixon’s side. When questioned about selling out Sammy said that Nixon had bought him with good deeds for our country.
But life is not a fairytale. Standing there lonely, having no job is our Sammy. This is when Sam realizes his path, the true way to become mature. The moment when “Lengel sighs and begins to look very patient:” Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your mom and dad” (Updike) hold him back a little bit, we can feel the regret in his heart. But he cannot go back anymore, decision has been made. He gives up his last chance; from now on, he’s on his own. Sammy finally understands that it is responsible behavior but not playing “adult-like” game that will make him a true
Sammy's feelings for Queenie changes when he hears her voice. Her voice is normal and he has built this romantic image of her in his mind. Hearing her voice and realizing she is a normal person, (that happens to be wealthy) slightly changes his feelings for her. It brings him back to reality a little. “Her voice kind of startled me, the way voices do when you see the people first, coming out so flat and dumb yet kind of tony, too, the way it ticked over "pick up" and "snacks." All of a sudden I slid right down her voice into her living room.” Sammy feels as if he has no chance to get noticed by her unless he does something out of the ordinary. So after she is done arguing with Lengel, Sammy decides to stand up for her and quit his job in hopes that she will notice him.
Two Works Cited In John Updike’s "A & P," Sammy is accused of quitting his job for childlike, immature reasons. Nathan Hatcher states, "In reality, Sammy quit his job not on a matter of ideals, but rather as a means of showing off and trying to impress the girls, specially Queenie" (37), but Sammy’s motive runs much deeper than that. He was searching for a sense of personal gain and satisfaction. By taking sides with the girls, he momentarily rises in class to meet their standards and the standards of the upper-class.
There once was a legend and he went by the name of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson. “Jackie was born on January 31, 1919. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play major league baseball. Jackie Robinson.” (“Jackie Robinson.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 14 Aug. 2017, Accessed 22 Sept. 2017 www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813) Baseball isn’t the only thing Jackie accomplished throughout his life, for instance he went to college, had kids and did much more. But for Jackie it was harder because he had racial slurs thrown at him. Despite all of the discrimination and racism about Jackie Robinson and his family, he got passed it and became a star. Jackie was an outsider, he was the first African American to play Major league baseball, he used the haters to become an amazing ball player and a hero to other African Americans.
During the progression of A&P, Sammy's words and action reflect his growth from an immature teenager to a person who takes a stand for what he believes is wrong.
Multi grammy winning, funk and soul artist, or better known as the “Prince of soul,” Marvin Gaye was born in Washington D.C., on April 2, 1939 as Marvin Pentz Gaye, Jr. He was born to, and named after, his father, Marvin Gay Sr. and mother Alberta Gay. Though he found many success in his later life as an international artist, Gaye (Marvin later place and “e” behind his name) grew up in hardships, abuse and rough living conditions. Father, Marvin Sr., was a minister for the local community church, his family consisted of four younger siblings and two half brothers. Early life for Marvin consisted of many hardships. Him and his family were residents of public housing areas and lived in some of the most rundown conditions one can fathom. Residents like Marvin were without running water and other proper living conditions- some people even lived in shacks in alleys. Marvin Gay, Sr. was often times cruel and abusive to young Marvin. Though life was moving forward, he constantly felt lost and trapped by his father’s
the world. Gershwin , at the young age of fifteen, quit school and became a song plugger.
Baseball player. Born George Herman Ruth, Jr., on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the first of eight children born to Kate and George Herman Ruth, Sr. Most of the Ruth children died in infancy and only George Jr. and his sister Mamie survived to maturity. Little George, as he was called, grew up in a poor waterfront neighborhood in Baltimore, where he lived above the family saloon.
The Beach Boys formed in 1961. The band members are; Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson who are all brothers, Al Jardine and Mike Love. All but Al Jardine lived in Los Angelas.
Herschel Walker was born in Augusta, Georgia and grew up outside of Wrightsville, Georgia for the first eleven years of Herschel life he did not show any interest in sports; he preferred reading books and writing poetry. At age ten he went to the Doctor for being overweight at age 12 he began a crash exercise program. Over the next years he did 100,000 pushups, 100,000 sit ups and sprinted thousands
The negative way that Sammy describes his place of work and some of the people that he works with
He was involuntarily pushed into the meaning and concept of being an adult. “His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.” (Updike 162) Sammy was a youthful young boy whose actions did not bother him as they did not seem to affect the people around him. However, the tough lesson that he learned on this day was a realization that his actions speak just as loud as his
Sammy was indeed caught between the two worlds that collided one day in the A&P, and he chose to pursue the one that was not his own. He was able to do this when others were not because he understood both worlds, his attitude toward each were completely different, and his actions were drastic enough to cut him free from the bonds that his world had on him. With two paths to choose from and only one to follow, Sammy took the path less traveled in that small town by the sea. He was, to use his own analogy, a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Now that Sammy has chosen to become a juvenile delinquent, he realizes "how hard the world was going to be" for him in the future. He has left a life of safety and direction for one of the complete opposite, and he must be willing to accept the responsibilities of his actions, no matter the consequences.
In 1957, he married Anna Kashfi but unfortunately their marriage only lasted for two years. In 1962, he married Mivta but their marriage also did not last for a long time, and they divorced in 1963.Some of his movies in 60’s were, Mutiny On The Bounty in 1962, The Ugly American in 1967,and Reflections in a Golden Eye in 1967. (Editor, 2004)