Mr. Bojangles

from wikipedia

Mr. Bojangles" is a popular song written and initially recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1968 and covered since by many other artists. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band took the song to #9 on the Billboard pop chart in 1971.
It was about an obscure alcoholic but talented tap dancing drifter (not the famous stage and movie dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, as sometimes assumed). Bojangles is thought to have been a folk character who entertained informally in the south of the US and California, and some say he might have been one of the most gifted natural dancers ever. His actual name is not recorded. Authentic reports of him exist from the 1920s through about 1965.
In fact, in his autobiography 'Gipsy Songman' Jerry Jeff states "Bojangles wasn't so much a name as a category of itinerant street entertainer known back as far as the previous century."
According to the lyrics by Jerry Jeff Walker, he met Bojangles in a prison cell in New Orleans (the first precinct jail to be exact). The two began to converse about life. Bojangles began to dance as Walker admired his skill.

audio by sammy davis jr, the lyrics

I knew a man Bojangles and he'd dance for you
In worn out shoes
With silver hair, a ragged shirt, and baggy pants
The old soft shoe
He jumped so high, jumped so high
Then he lightly touched down
I met him in a cell in New Orleans I was
down and out
He looked to me to be the eyes of age
as he spoke right out
He talked of life, talked of life, he laughed
clicked his heels and stepped
He said his name "Bojangles" and he danced a lick
across the cell
He grabbed his pants and spread his stance,
Oh he jumped so high and then he clicked his heels
He let go a laugh, let go a laugh
and shook back his clothes all around
Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles, dance
He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs
throughout the south
He spoke through tears of 15 years how his dog and him
traveled about
The dog up and died, he up and died
And after 20 years he still grieves
He said I dance now at every chance in honky tonks
for drinks and tips
But most the time I spend behind these county bars
'cause I drinks a bit
He shook his head, and as he shook his head
I heard someone ask him please
Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles, dance..

Sammy Davis Jr And The Tap Dance "Hall Of Fame"-Part 2

With Bunny Briggs, Chuck Green, Gregg Burge, Ludie Jones, Jimmy Slyde, Sandman Sims and Harold Nicholas

Sammy Davis Jr And The Tap Dance "Hall Of Fame"-Part 1

Sammy Davis Jr as a seven year old and later with his father and his uncle
The Will Mastin Trio), Bill Bojangles Robinson, Buck and Bubbles, Tip, Tap and Toe,
The Nicholas Brothers, Coles and Atkins, The Berry Brothers and Pegleg Bates and Little Buck.

Sammy Davis, Jr.: Harlem And Cuban Roots

On a previous post that had a biography of Sammy Davis Jr it was mentioned that there was some dispute as to whether Sammy's mother was Puerto Rican or Cuban. I think I found the primary source evidence to prove that she was Cuban. In the 1930 census there is an Elvera Davis living at 4 East 132nd Street and it states that she was born in Cuba as were her parents. I'm pretty convinced that this is the Elvera Davis that is Sammy's mother since the census (click on the image to make it more visible) states that she is an actress. Her maiden name was Sanchez, which the biography mentioned. It also mentioned that she had a sister named Julia. Sammy in 1930 was probably on the road with his father, who had custody of him, but it is likely that he visited this address when he came to New York. From the pictures obtained through Google it looks like the 1930 era apartment building is still there. I'll have to check it out.

Sammy Davis, Jr.: A Lot Of Living To Do

from 12/13/06 from pseudo-intellectualism

I was listening to my Rat Pack collection CD in the car and Sammy Davis Jr's rendition of this has got me playing it over and over at full blast. An incredible arrangement by Marty Paich. I said before, Sammy was overrated in the past, very underrated now.
There are girls just ripe for some kissin'
And I mean to kiss me a few!
Oh those girls don't know what they're missin',
I got a lot of living to do!
And there's wine all ready for tastin'
And there's Cadillacs all shiny and new!
Gotta move, cause time is a-wastin',
There's such a lot of livin' to do!
There's music to play,
Places to go and people to see!
Everything for you and me!
Life's a ball
If only you know it
And it's all just waiting for you
You're alive,
So come on and show it
There's such a lot of livin'
I got a living to do
Man, there's such a lot of living to do
Why there's music to play,
Places to go and people to see!
Everything for you and me!
Life's a ball
If only you know it
And it's all just waiting for you
You're alive,
So come on and show it
There's such a lot of livin'
Such a lot of livin'
Such a lot of livin' to do

A Valentine From Sammy Davis, Jr.

from 1960. I think it is from a television show that was filmed at Hugh Heffner's mansion.
from wikipedia

Samuel George Davis, Jr., better known as Sammy Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer. He was a dancer, singer, multi-instrumentalist (playing vibraphone, trumpet, and drums), impressionist, comedian, and actor. He was a member of the 1960s Rat Pack, which was led by his old friend Frank Sinatra, and included fellow performers Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.
Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York to Elvera Sanchez, a dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr., an African-American entertainer. The couple were both dancers in vaudeville. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. During his lifetime Sammy Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan However, in his 2003 biography In Black and White, author Wil Haygood writes that Elvera Sanchez was not born in Puerto Rico, but instead in New York City, the daughter of Cuban Americans Marco Sanchez and Luisa Aguiar. Haygood, who conducted over 250 interviews for his biography , states that the reason Davis claimed he was Puerto Rican stemmed from fear that anti-Cuban backlash resulting from the Cuban Missile Crisis would hurt his record sales.] The author's claims have never been confirmed by the Davis's immediate family, and therefore continues to remain as speculation.
Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas for many years, yet was required to accept accommodations in a rooming house on the west side of the city, rather than reside with his peers in the hotels, as were all black performers in the 1950s. For example, no stage dressing rooms were provided for black performers, so they were required to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts.[5]
During his early years in Vegas, he and other African-American artists like Nat King Cole and Count Basie could entertain on the stage, but often could not reside at the hotels at which they performed, and most definitely could not gamble in the casinos or go to the hotel restaurants and bars. After he achieved superstar success, Davis refused to work at venues which would practice racial segregation. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas, Nevada casinos. Davis was particularly proud of this accomplishment.
Although James Brown would claim the title of "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," the argument could be made that Sammy Davis, Jr. deserved it more. For example, in 1964 he was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he would either be in the studio recording new songs, or else performing live, often at charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los Angeles. Even at the time, Sam knew he was cheating his family of his company, but he couldn't help himself; as he later said, he was incapable of standing still.