Black Music Sunday: Sammy Davis Jr. was the consummate entertainer

Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 240 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.

Singer, dancer, musician, actor, and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. was a jack of all the performance trades, including playing trombone, vibraphone, and drums. Considered by many to have been the world’s greatest entertainer—ever—his life story was complicated by the realities of racism in the U.S. and by a series of setbacks and tragedies.

Join me in celebrating what would have been his 99th birthday.