A Tragic Car Accident Left Sammy Davis Jr. Without an Eye
At the height of his fame, fans knew Sammy Davis Jr. for his music. The accomplished singer lived an eventful life and got to know celebrities like pop star Michael Jackson. At one point, he joined the Church of Satan but left later on. As his career began to grow in the ’50s, Davis was in a car accident. While he did survive, he lost an eye. Luckily, his recovery was short, and the singer received a fake eye.
Sammy Davis Jr.’s legendary career
According to Biography, Davis was born in 1925, and he would become a successful musician, dancer, and actor. He managed to overcome the racism that he faced in order to become a legend in the entertainment business. He traveled around to perform dancing and singing early in his career.
The singer had his first film appearance in a short movie titled Rufus Jones for President. Of course, his rise in fame did not come until after World War II. In 1947, Davis performed with the Will Mastin Trio as the opening act for Frank Sinatra.
It was not until 1954 when the musician signed a recording contract with Decca Records. He released two albums titled Starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr. Sings Just for Lovers. The albums became huge hits.
The singer’s most popular song is “The Candy Man,” which topped the charts. Many people may remember Davis for being a member of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack. He earned millions throughout his career. The famous singer died in 1990 at the age of 64.
Sammy Davis Jr. was in a car wreck
While it is uncommon, there have been several celebrities that have gotten into car accidents. A few have been fatal, and others were merely left injured. Actor Mark Hamill got into a crash, which left his nose broken.
Some people may not have been aware that Davis actually was missing an eye for most of his career. According to Biography, the entertainer had gotten into a car accident on November 19, 1954. He had been traveling from Las Vegas to LA when the incident occurred.
The reason why Davis was heading to Los Angeles was to produce the soundtrack for a film. He was driving his car and ended up crashing into a vehicle that was backing out in front of him. Unfortunately, the accident left the singer injured. However, most of the injuries were on his face.
The damage on Davis’ left eye resulted in him losing it. The musician was only 29 years old at the time.
Sammy Davis Jr. had a glass eye
In the late 1960s, Davis made a guest appearance on the popular sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. He was in the episode “The Greatest Entertainer in the World.” Viewers may not have noticed anything different about him.
As mentioned before, one of Davis’ eyes got badly damaged. Instead of using an eye patch, the singer wore a glass eye. He had the fake eye for most of his life, and Davis did not let it stop him from entertaining people.
Other than his left eye, Davis had sustained injuries to his face. For example, he received a broken nose. Of course, he only took two months off to recover. As a professional entertainer, Davis likely did not want to stay away from performing for too long.
The singer was fortunate to heal quickly enough to continue his career. An interesting fact to note is that Davis converted to Judaism after the accident. He saw his survival as a miracle and looked to the religion for answers.
