Provenance: According to the owner, formerly the property of Sammy Davis Jr Sammy Davis Jr. is considered to be one of greatest entertainers of all time. Weil known around the world as a singer, dancer, actor, impressionist and variety artist, his career spanned more than a half a century, from stage to screen. Born in Harlem, New York, in December in 1925, Davis came from a show business family. His mother, Elvera Sanchez, was a chorus girl, and Sam Davis Sr. was the lead lancer in a vaudeville revue called Will Mastin 's Holiday in Dixieland. Mastin was often referred to as little Sammy's uncle, but was in fact not related. Davis was raised primarily by his grandmother and his father. His precocity was seized upon by Will who created the Will Mastin Trio - Will, Sam Sr. and little Sammy - around Davis' talents as a singer, dancer and mimic. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Davis attempted to sign up for the army. He was too young at the Lime, just 16, but one year later, he signed on for military service. After bis tour, Davis joined up again with his father and uncle, struggling to become more than just a flash dance act. It was at this time that Davis first met Frank Sinatra, who was at the peak of his teen heart-throb status. Davis' break came after a riveting performance at Ciro's, a swank nightclub in Hollywood. According to Davis at the time, the thing that finally pushed him over the top, was "touching the audience"; he always had the explosive talent, now he put a humas face on it. In 1954, Davis signed with Decca and recorded a standard variety of songs, including "Hey There," "The Birth of the Blues," "That Old Black Magic," and " My Funny Valentine." Davis' early singing style was heavily influenced by Sinatra. Driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in November 1954, Davis was involved in a car accident that resulted in the loss of his left eye. The accident generated enormous publicity for the young, hot actor, which helped his career immensely. Davis enjoyed a string of successful record albums; he also appeared in a number of Broadway plays, including "Golden Boy" and was a regular headliner in Las Vegas. He frequently appeared on television in such programs as "Ed Sullivan," "The ferry Lewis Show" and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh h1", and featured in such major motion pictures as "A Man Called Adam," "Cannonball Run," and "Tap." He became known as a member of Hollywood's infamous "Rat Pack," consisting of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. The Rat Pack appeared together in a number of films, namely "Robin and the Seven Hoods," "Sergeants 3," and "Ocean's Eleven." In the midst of his successful career, Davis married the Swedish actress May Britt in 1960, but the demands of his profession put a strain on their relationship, which ultimately ended in divorce. He la ter remarried dancer Altovise, whom he met while performing in the stage production "Gold Boy." He died in May 1990, at the age of 65, in Beverly Hills.