In 1944, during World War II, Sammy Davis Jr was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 18. Davis earned the American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal and was discharged in 1945 with the rank of private.
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Samuel George Davis Jr was born on December 8, 1925, in Harlem, New York, the United States of America. In 1954, Davis was hired to sing the title song for the Universal Pictures film Six Bridges to Cross.
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Sammy Davis Jr had a starring role on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful with Chita Rivera (1956). In 1959, Davis became a member of the Rat Pack, led by his friend Frank Sinatra.
Sammy Davis Jr was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987. In 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2017, Sammy Davis Jr was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. On May 27–28, 1973, Davis hosted the first annual 20-hour Highway Safety Foundation telethon.


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