Born on this day in Harlem, New York, entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925–1990) was an original who chose to live with rhythm and heart in spite of physical and spiritual challenges. His mainstream success and fame opened space for future African American entertainers to be seen on the same stages.

“I was brought up in the business that said there was room for every body, for all tastes,” he said. “That’s why they call it variety.”

Self-educated and endlessly curious, the baritone singer, dancer, and actor joined his adopted uncle’s vaudeville troupe as a toddler and learned from legendary tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. “I guess I was meant for show business even before I was born,” Davis said, looking back on his life in the spotlight.

Known for his restless energy, Davis became part of mentor Frank Sinatra’s celebrated Rat Pack. In 1954, he signed with Decca Records, then survived a devastating car crash that cost him his left eye and nearly his life. He returned to the stage with an eye patch, then a glass eye, and kept performing.

“Wishing, hoping and regretting are the most common and dangerous tactics for evading the present,” he observed. In 1964, he lit up Broadway as a prize fighter in Golden Boy. In 1972, he topped the charts with the playful pop hit The Candy Man, a song that turned sweetness into something almost legendary.

A passionate performer who celebrated life with his whole being, Davis also became a leader in the civil rights movement. To help promote positive images of people of color, he helped create the NAACP Image Awards in 1967. The recognition continues to honor achievement and performance, a living reminder of his vision.

“Part of show business is magic,” he said. “You don’t know how it happens.” For Sammy Davis, Jr., that magic grew from discipline, resilience, and the brave choice to keep being himself in rooms where he once would not have been invited.