Sammy Davis Jr.'s children: Meet the musician's four kids

Sammy Davis Jr.'s children: Meet the musician's four kids

Sammy Davis Jr. was a renowned singer, actor, dancer, and standup comedian. He appeared in films and TV shows, such as The Kid Who Loved Christmas, Alice in Wonderland, and Cannonball Run II. He was a family man with four kids. Find out if Sammy Davis Jr.'s children followed in his footsteps.

Actor Sammy Davis Jr. poses for a portrait in 1988 (L) and Britt with her children, Jeff, 6 months old; Tracey, 4 years old; and Mark, five years old (R)
Sammy Davis Jr. poses for a portrait in 1988 (L) and May with her children, Jeff, 6 months old; Tracey, 4 years old; and Mark, 5 years old (R). Photo: Harry Langdon, Bettmann (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sammy Davis Jr. was known for his charisma and talent, and he broke racial barriers when segregation was at an all-time high. He was popularly known for being a member of the Rat Pack band. His hit tracks include I've Gotta Be Me, Me and My Shadow, and Mr. Bojangles.

Profile summary

Full nameSamuel George Davis Jr.
GenderMale
Date of birth8 December 1925
Date of death16 May 1990
Age 64 years old (at the time of death)
Zodiac signSagittarius
Place of birthHarlem, New York City, United States
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityMixed
ReligionJudaism
SexualityStraight
Height in feet5'4"
Height in centimetres164
Weight in pounds121
Weight in kilograms55
Hair colourDark brown
Eye colourBrown
FatherSammy Davis Sr.
MotherElvera Sanchez
Siblings1
Marital statusMarried
WifeAltorise Davis
Children4
ProfessionActor, singer, dancer, standup comedian
Instagram@officialsammydavisjr
Facebook@OfficialSDJ

Read also

Who is Dwayne Johnson's twin brother? His siblings revealed

Who is Sammy Davis Jr.?

Sammy was born on 8 December 1925 in Harlem, New York City, United States. His mother was Puerto Rican, and his dad was African-American. His parents parted ways when he was three years old.

His father, a dancer, primarily raised him. The singer died from oral/throat cancer on 16 May 1990 at the age of 64, leaving behind four children.

Sammy Davis Jr.'s children

The famous actor had four children: a biological daughter and three adopted sons. Sammy married Swedish actress May Brett in 1960 and divorced her in 1968. The two share a biological daughter, Tracey Davis, and adopted two sons, Mark and Jeff Davis.

After the divorce, Sammy married Altovise Joanne Davis, an American entertainer, in 1970. The couple adopted a son, Manny Davis. Below are more details about Sammy Davis Jr.'s children.

1. Mark Sydney Davis

Read also

Who are Denzel Washington's siblings? A look at the actor's family

Mark is the first adopted son of Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt and the oldest of Sammy's children. He was born in 1960, making him 64 years old. He graduated from George Whittell High School near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA.

Mark was adopted at the age of two. In 2015, Mark came into the spotlight after talking about his identity. He told Daily Mail Online he had no idea where he came from. Mark stated:

I am a huge living question mark and that is because I have never understood anything 100 per cent about where I came from.

However, he later discovered that Sammy Davis Jr. was his real dad. His birth certificate read Sammy as his biological father and his mom, May Britt, as the natural mother. He said:

If I am Dad's natural son, and I believe very much that could be the case, then there could have been many reasons why I was put down as adopted.

Read also

Who are Bruno Mars siblings? The family ranked from oldest to youngest

He added:

Dad was very loving when I was a kid, but being adopted never made sense to me as Dad and Mum had a daughter, Tracey, who is a year younger than me. Why would they adopt an older child after having Tracey?

Mark also disclosed how his father called him in 1990 to his deathbed and told him he was his son. He mentioned:

When I walked to the bedside I bent over and gave him a kiss and he grabbed me and he said to me, 'You are my son'.

His sister, Stecy, disagreed with Mark's statement that he was Sammy's biological son. The two decided to have a DNA test, revealing they were not biological siblings. After the DNA results, Mark and Stacey were satisfied, and the two maintains their bond.

2. Tracey Davis

Tracey Davis (L), daughter of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., and Barrett LaRoda, Chairman of Sammy Davis Jr. Enterprises Inc. at the Tropicana Las Vegas
Tracey Davis (L), daughter Sammy Davis Jr., and Barrett LaRoda arrive at the opening of Wayne Newton's limited-engagement production "Once Before I Go". Photo: Ethan Miller
Source: Getty Images

Tracey was the famous actor's only biological child with his ex-wife, May Britt. She was born on July 5, 1961, in Los Angeles, California, United States, and graduated from California State University, Northridge.

Read also

Kevin Federline's net worth, wife, children, what does he do for money?

Tracey was an author. In 1996, she documented her experiences as the daughter of the famous singer in the memoir Sammy Davis Jr: My Father. In the book, Tracey revealed how her dad's career kept them apart and discussed her journey to reconnect with him as an adult.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2014, Tracey disclosed her discussion with her father when they met for the first time. She stated:

I said things like, Dad, I always loved you, but I didn't like you much. He said, 'Well, I didn't like you either.' It turned out the air needed to be cleared.

In 2014, she wrote another book, Sammy Davis Jr: A Personal Journey With My Father. The book concentrates on her father's experiences with racism. His dad married Tracey's mother, May Britt, who was White, and he was Black.

Read also

Who are Dame Dash's kids? Meet the entrepreneur's children

Sammy's daughter was first married to Guy Garner from 1986 to 2001. They shared two children, Sam and Montana Garner. After the divorce, she married Jim Cotta, and they had two kids, Greer and Chase Cotta.

The American author died on 2 November 2020 in Franklin, Tennesse, USA, at 59. Her ex-husband, Guy Garner, confirmed her death while speaking with the Associated Press. He said:

She loved and adored her kids more than anything. Needless to say, they are all shocked and devastated by the loss of their mother, as are Tracey's mother, May Britt Ringquist and her brothers, Mark and Jeff

3. Jeff Davis

The American singer and May adopted Jeff as their second son during their eight-year marriage. He was adopted two years after Mark. Jeff has kept his life under wraps, so little is known about him.

4. Manny Davis

Manny Davis at the opening night premiere of "Sammy Davis Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me" in Beverly Hills, California
Manny Davis attends the 13th Annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival. Photo: Tasia Wells
Source: Getty Images

Manny is the adopted son of Sammy and his second wife, Altovise Joanne Davis. Unlike his siblings, Manny experienced his father's presence growing up. In an interview with Closer Weekly, Manny said:

Read also

Who is Young Thug's girlfriend? His complete relationship history

Being the youngest of Sammy's children, my experience was different from my siblings. My siblings grew up during the civil rights era. I was a child of the '70s and '80s. Most of his goals had been accomplished by then. He and my mother used to take me everywhere with them.

Manny also disclosed that his dad would give him life advice. He stated:

He taught me to never give up on my dreams. And to never settle for anything less than my worth.

FAQs

  1. Who was Sammy Davis Jr.? He was a famous singer, actor, dancer, and standup comedian from the United States.
  2. Where was Sammy Davis Jr. from? He was born in Harlem, New York City, United States.
  3. Did Sammy Davis Junior have a daughter? The singer had one daughter, Tracey Davis.
  4. How many biological children did Sammy Davis have? He had one biological kid, Tracey Davis and three adopted sons.
  5. What are Sammy Davis Jr.'s children's names? His kids are Tracey, Mark, Jeff, and Manny Davis.
  6. Who is Sammy Davis Jr.'s daughter's mom? Her mother is called May Britt.
  7. Who was Sammy Davis Jr.'s wife? The Hollywood actor was married thrice: Loray White (m. 1958–1959), May Britt (m. 1960–1968), and Altovise Davis (m. 1970–1990).

Read also

Meet Brian Wilson's children: Who are the musician's kids?

Sammy Davis Jr. was a legendary singer, actor, dancer, and standup comedian. He was a father of four: a biological daughter and three adopted sons. Unfortunately, he died on 16 May 1990 at the age of 64.

Legit.ng recently published Toto Wolff's biography. Toto is an Australian investor, entrepreneur, motorsports enthusiast, and former racing driver. He is the founder of incubator-style venture companies Marchfifteen and Marchsixteen.

Toto Wolff was born Torger Christian Wolff in Vienna, Australia. The entrepreneur won the Dubai 24 Hour in 2006 and placed second in the Australian Rally Championship. He is a father of three children. Learn more about him in his bio.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Isaac Wangethi avatar

Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi has been a content writer at Legit since September 2021. He has gained valuable experience working on various projects, such as celebrity biographies, lifestyle, news and many more. Isaac won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. He earned a Bsc. of Science in Information Technology in 2017 from the University of Nairobi and a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University in 2021. In 2023, Isaac finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, he completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com

Tags:
USA