This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/25/2024
Sammy Davis, Jr .Owned Archive of Letters from U.S. Government and Others.
This original archive of letters, both from the U.S. Government and others, were all written to Sammy Davis, Jr. and were part of his personal collection of mementos. Sammy Davis, Jr. was one one the most beloved performers of his time, and he received many accolades, including these letters, which he treasured.
At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally, and his film career began in 1933. After military service, Davis returned to the trio and became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's (in West Hollywood) after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, at the age of 29, he lost his left eye in a car accident. Davis had a starring role on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful with Chita Rivera (1956). In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean's 11. He returned to the stage in 1964 in a musical adaptation of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy. Davis was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. The show featured the first interracial kiss on Broadway.[4] In 1966, he had his own TV variety show, titled The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. While Davis's career slowed in the late 1960s, his biggest hit, "The Candy Man,"reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1972, Davis's popularity helped break the race barrier of the segregated entertainment industryd he became a star in Las Vegas, earning him the nickname "Mister Show Business:" In 1959, Davis became a member of the Rat Pack, led by his friend Frank Sinatra, which included fellow performers Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford, a brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy.
Provenance: From the Sammy Davis, Jr. Bankruptcy Sale.
Dimensions: 8.5 in x 11 in.
Condition: Overal good.
Authentication: Gotta Have Rock and Roll Certificate of Authenticity.