Why Me [Paperback]

Boyar Davis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

You name it and it sounds as if Sammy Davis Jr. has done it. In this sprawling, revealing, lively second autobiography (following the bestseller Yes, I Can , also coauthored with the Boyars) stories of money, sex, violence, drugs, booze, fame, luxury and extravagance spill out relentlessly. Superstardom, admits Davis, has always been his be-all and end-all, and the almost obligatory downside--failed marriages, sickness, age, his own personal IRS auditor--are featured heavily here, along with insider show-biz gossip. More up-tone tales involve life-long buddy and supporter Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack, the Kennedys, Richard Nixon. At the core of the book is the extraordinary black experience of the last 50 years. Davis became a star in the '40s at a Vegas hotel where he could headline but not sleep. In the '70s, he slept in Lincoln's bed in the White House, guest of the president. Even Mr. Wonderful (Davis's first Broadway smash hit) couldn't top that. Photos.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374527377
• ISBN-13: 978-0374527372
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,206,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FASCINATING LOOK AT BEHIND THE SCENES OF STARDOM, October 8, 1999

By 

Fiona Jean Mcleod (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Me? The Sammy Davis, Jr. Story (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book, I had no idea what the blacks in the US had to go through, having grown up in Australia. Sammy had a big chip on his shoulder which he carried throughout his life but it is understandable when you read what he went through. This isn't just a boring story of a star's life, it is a fascinating look at racism, politics, being rich beyond your dreams and in debt for millions - a great read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another tearjerker about the human condition, June 2, 1998

By 

T. Togwe "thembani" (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Me?: The Sammy Davis, Jr. Story (Paperback)

Mr Davis'is revealed to be much more than performer. We find Sammy to be an activist, comedian, swinger, a great human being. His friendship with Frank Sinatra is shown to be pivotal in his giving up drugs. Another laugh and cry book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master Autobiography By A Master Entertainer, August 16, 2006

By 

Stuart Ellison "Author" (New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Me?: The Sammy Davis, Jr. Story (Paperback)

In simple, down-to-earth prose, the late Sammy Davis, Jr. tells his moving life story, from playing cheap theatres in the 1920s South as a five-year-old with his uncle, to the magnificent fame he achieved decades later. Before he became universally beloved, Davis had to endure, and overcome, brutal bigotry. The best line of the book is when he asks, "How do you kill an idea?" His answer: "With a better idea." Go read it.