HE DID:

The multitalented Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. was born in Harlem in 1925. Dubbed "the world's greatest entertainer," Davis made his film debut at age seven in the Ethel Waters film Rufus Jones for President. A singer, dancer, impressionist, drummer and actor, Davis was irrepressible, and did not allow racism or even the loss of an eye to stop him.

Behind his frenetic movement was a brilliant, studious man who soaked up knowledge from his chosen teachers--including Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, and Jack Benny. In his 1965 autobiography, Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr., Davis candidly recounted everything from the racist violence he faced in the army to his conversion to Judaism, which began with the gift of a mezuzah from the comedian Eddie Cantor.

But the performer also had a destructive side, further recounted in his second autobiography, Why Me?--which led Davis to suffer a heart attack onstage, drunkenly propose to his first wife, and spend thousands of dollars on bespoke suits and fine jewelry. Driving it all was a lifelong battle for acceptance and love. "I've got to be a star!" he wrote. "I have to be a star like another man has to breathe."

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