Why did JFK not invite Sammy Davis Jr?

Sammy Davis Jr. was at the height of his stardom in 1961 when he and his close friend Frank Sinatra campaigned to elect President John F. Kennedy.

However, after Davis married Swedish actress May Britt, Kennedy refused to let him perform at his inauguration, according to Davis’ daughter Tracey Davis in her book “Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal History with My Father”.

Sammy Davis’ interracial marriage was considered controversial at the time, and Kennedy was concerned that it would hurt his chances of re-election.

Samuel George Davis Jr’s biggest hit, “The Candy Man”, reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1972. Sammy Davis Jr had a starring role on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful with Chita Rivera (1956).

In 1958, Sammy Davis Jr was hired to crown the winner of the Miss Cavalcade of Jazz beauty contest for the famed fourteenth Cavalcade of Jazz concert.

In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean’s 11. On May 27–28, 1973, Davis hosted the first annual 20-hour Highway Safety Foundation telethon.