What was the relationship between Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra?

Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. were longtime friends and members of the Rat Pack. They met as young performers in 1941 when Sammy was performing with his father and uncle in the Will Mastin Trio and Frank was singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

The two men bonded over a sandwich backstage. In 1947, Sinatra headlined at the Capitol Theater in New York City under the condition that the Will Mastin Trio open for him.

According to the book “Sinatra: The Chairman” by James Kaplan, Sinatra also demanded that management pay the trio five times their standard rate. Sammy Davis Jr. was also a member of the famous Rat Pack, which included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and others.

In 1953, Sammy Davis Jr was offered his own television show on ABC, Three for the Road—with the Will Mastin Trio. In 1954, Davis was hired to sing the title song for the Universal Pictures film Six Bridges to Cross.

Sammy Davis Jr was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987. On May 27–28, 1973, Davis hosted the first annual 20-hour Highway Safety Foundation telethon.