Who were the Rat Pack members? The history of the iconic group

Who were the Rat Pack members? The history of the iconic group

The Rat Pack was an American group of entertainers. They became famous in the 1950s and 1960s after appearing in casino live shows, movies and TV shows. They are known for films such as Ocean's 11 (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962), and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964). Discover the original Rat Pack members.

Original Rat pack members
Ocean's 11 stars Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, and Frank Sinatra in Hollywood, California, 1960. Photo: Underwood
Source: Getty Images

The Rat Pack started as a group of friends having fun together. They later appeared in live shows together in Las Vegas, becoming one of the most popular groups in the 50s and 60s. Lauren Bacall is behind the name Rat Pack. All the members of the Rat Pack are dead, but their legacy remains.

Who were the Rat Pack members?

The group started with Humphrey Bogart, known to entertain his celebrity friends. The name came from his actress wife, Lauren Bacall, who was also part of the group. After Bogart died, Frank Sinatra started his group with the same name. The Rat Pack group had five members who performed together in shows and films. Here is a look at all members of the Rat Pack group.

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Frank Sinatra

who was in the rat pack
Frank Sinatra performed A Man and His Music Part III on 11/13/1967. Photo: NBCU Photo Bank
Source: Getty Images

Frank Sinatra was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most famous entertainers in the mid-20th century. Frank was the Rat Pack group leader and a friend to many celebrities.

Francis Albert Sinatra was born on 12 December 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was an only child of Italian immigrants Natalina Garaventa and Antonino Martino Sinatra. Frank was known for his charisma and distinctive voice and became one of the world's best-selling artists.

Sinatra won numerous awards for his movies, including Grammys, Oscars and Golden Globes. Frank died on 14 May 1998 at the age of 82.

Dean Martin

How many members are in the Rat Pack?
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in the 1950s. Photo: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal
Source: Getty Images

Dean Martin was a singer, actor, comedian and member of the Rat Pack. The American actor was born on 7 June 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio, US and died on 25 December 1995 in Beverly Hills, California, US.

He was known by his nickname, "The King of Cool". Martin started his comedy career together with Jerry Lewis. The two performed together as Martin and Lewis. Martin was known for his smooth voice, humour and charm.

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He is remembered for shows such as The Dean Martin Show and Dean Martin Celebrity Roast. He appeared in numerous shows and films with other Rat Pack members. Some of his best songs include Ain't That a Kick in the Head? Memories Are Made of This, and Everybody Loves Somebody.

Sammy Davis Jr.

Who was the last Rat Pack alive?
Musical guest Sammy Davis Jr. performs on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, on February 15, 1984. Photo: Gene Arias
Source: Getty Images

Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the most cherished Rat Pack singers. He was also an actor, dancer and stand-up comedian. Samuel George Davis Jr. was born on 8 December 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. He died on 16 May 1990 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

Davis was known for his charisma, talent and for breaking racial barriers at the time segregation was at an all-time high. He appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including Mr Wonderful (1956), and had his TV show titled The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. As a singer, his top single, The Candy Man, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

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Joey Bishop

Who were the Rat Pack members?
Actors Sid Caesar and Joey Bishop attend the screening party for The Naked Cage on February 22, 1986, in Hollywood, California. Photo: Ron Galella
Source: Getty Images

Joey Bishop was a famous American comedian, actor and one of the Rat Pack names. Known for his unique sense of humour, he was the group's MC. Joe Bishop was born to Anna and Jacob Gottlieb on 3 February 1918 in the Bronx, New York City, USA.

Bishop was the 96th entry on Comedy Central's list of 100 greatest comedians. The talented comedian hosted his comedy series titled The Joey Bishop Show and later hosted a late-night talk show with Regis Philbin on ABC. Some films he starred in included Gunga Din (1939) and Texas Across the River (1966). Bishop was the longest surviving member of the Rat Pack group and died on 17 October 2007.

Peter Lawford

Rat Pack names
Peter Lawford and Elizabeth Montgomery on Bewitched Season 8 - 1/27/72. Photo: ABC Photo Archives
Source: Getty Images

Peter Lawford was an American-English actor in the Rat Pack, although he fell out with Frank Sinatra in 1962. He was also the brother-in-law of former US President John F. Kennedy. Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford was born on 7 September 1923 in London, UK, to Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford and May Sommerville Bunny. He died on 24 December 1984 at the age of 61.

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FAQs

  1. What was the Rat Pack group? It was an informal entertainment group of actors, comedians and entertainers famous in the 1950s and 1960s.
  2. Who was the leader of the Rat Pack group? Frank Sinatra was the leader of the group.
  3. How many members were in the Rat Pack? There were five members in the Rat Pack group.
  4. Who were the members of the Rat Pack? The group members are Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.
  5. Who was the last Rat Pack alive? Joey Bishop was the longest-surviving member of the group. He died on 17 October 2007.
  6. Why was it called the Rat Pack? The group got its name from actress Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart's wife. She claimed that her husband and his friend looked like rats when they came home from their hangouts.
  7. What is the Rat Pack group known for? The group was known for hosting live shows and appearing in films such as Ocean's 11, Sergeants 3, 4 for Texas, and Robin and the 7 Hoods.

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The Rat Pack were the most popular mid- 20th Century pop culture entertainment group. There were five Rat Pack members, namely Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and Sammy Davis, Jr. They dominated the entertainment scene, from Las Vegas casinos to popular films and TV shows.

Legit.ng published an article about hooded-eye celebrities. Having hooded eyes means an eye shape that appears fully or partially covered. This may result from a fold of skin mostly seen when the eye is open. This phenomenon is natural, and numerous people have it, including celebrities.

Hooded-eye celebrities usually experiment with beautiful eye makeup to create more defined eyelids. Some techniques they use include applying eyeliner, eyeshadow and putting on artificial lashes. If you have hooded eyes, you can borrow inspiration from these celebrities.

Source: Legit.ng

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Naomi Karina (Lifestyle writer) Naomi Karina has been a digital content writer for more than two years. She joined the Legit team in August 2022. She graduated Bachelor of Commerce from KCA University in 2012. She also holds a Higher Diploma in Human Resources from the IHRM and a Diploma in Marketing from Kenyatta University. She is a content creator who enjoys writing about various topics such as biographies, entertainment and business. In 2023, Naomi finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She expanded her skills in 2024 by undertaking the Google News Initiative course.

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