Sean Polite’s Reviews > Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, and Madness > Status Update

Would like to hear your thoughts on this.

Pamela wrote: "Would like to hear your thoughts on this."
Sure! Having read Sammy's first autobiography, "Yes I Can," this book essentially details the grand saga that a particular federal prosecutor (the very one who took down E.F. Hutton in court) undertook to resolve the infamous record-breaking debt to the IRS that Mr. Davis had all the way to his death in 1990. In that respect, as I've not read his second book, "Why Me?" this one neatly summarizes the events of Sammy's life, with considerably less relish and joie de vivre that he and co-writers Burt and (the late) Jane Boyar did with the "Yes" and "Why."
"Deconstructing" begins at the point of Mr. Davis' passing, and reveals the absolute chaos that bedraggled his confidence, his health, his estate, his celebrity, and to a larger degree the people around him (including his 3rd wife, Altovise, with him to the end, but suddenly and to her chagrin deprived of a lavish life provided by one of the most charismatic and ebullient multi-talents the entertainment world has ever seen).
The prosecutor, also an African-American, is non-plussed with Sammy, and the author smartly reveals his perspective on him through the window of some notable controversies of his time (the excesses of his party life, crossover into the mainstream at a loss to his identity and relatability to black audiences -- i.e. his dalliances with Richard Nixon-- moreso the infamous "hug" at the Republican Primary, Davis' own disgust at the syrupy tidings of what would be his biggest pop hit, "The Candy Man," etc). The prosecutor's parents' natural adoration of Mr. Davis and his curiosity with the case would change his mind.
I will admit that the book starts slow with the setup of the prosecutor and his family. While it, as with the gems about the titular figure, are intricate, it initially made me lose interest in continuing the read.
However, once the connection to the Davis case is made, as well as the motivation for a years long journey to redeem the financial well being of a showbiz icon (and heal the vitriol simmering between his surviving family members --- including his 3 children), this yarn really hits its' mark.
Growing up, and moreso looking before my time at Mr. Davis' earning of his iconic status in pop culture and music (and even to the intertwining of celebrities with both the civil rights movement, as well as transitioning his outward presence of support from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party), his cancer and financial woes were a sour note to a storied career.
The book details how much of the common acts of posthumous promotion (boxsets, documentaries, retrospective DVDs, museums, impersonator tours, TV likeness ads) for other contemporaries of his time were really held up for Sammy due to his ever-persisting tax debt.
Reading this has given my more education about the debt resolution process, and the crucible of interviews, records recovery, and patience that it takes to get one's funds right, so that the exorbitant spending in life doesn't hamper you, or those who are here when your life ends.
You learn that Mr. Davis had a big heart, and a wide, far-reaching network of entertainers, producers, business magnates, managers, accountants, investors (and ultimately botched investments), monarchs, activists, politicians, and even hustlers, bonafide scammers, hangers-on, and certified criminals, mobsters even.
Some of the benchmarks of his life, his friendship with Frank Sinatra (and of course, The Rat Pack with Dean Martin -- with no disrespect to Peter Lawton or Joey Bishop -- is deconstructed for the social behaviors of that famed triumvirate, and in spite of the smiling faces and carousing good times, all is not what it seems), his film and music breakthroughs, his involvement with the late Martin Luther King Jr and the Kennedy family, are dug through with a fine-toothed comb by the author.
My mouth was agape along with the federal prosecutor at the things he discovers about Sammy Davis Jr's life, and some of the big names I've mentioned are at the heart of it. He was admittedly a cool, worldly, and fascinating fellow, but his fascinations reached levels that honestly did repulse some people close to him (as the book conveys).
It's a cautionary tale to save as you spend, and to invest carefully. The pursuit of the heights of fame and fortune can come at unfortunate expense to the family you're born into, and the family you ultimately bring into the world.
Mr. Davis had a wild, raucous life, and it affected people around him positively and negatively (the accounts on his children really come into play here).
The eternal, universal struggle of a creative artist not owning a decent amount of, if not all of their publishing, and the research into Sammy's owned funds from various record labels depicts that struggle perfectly.
Moments from Mr. Davis' life are spliced in which helps with the rather blunt stating of massive figures for both luxuries and funds owed. (It's simply staggering the amounts due and indebted, but it's a great lesson all the same).
It's a bit tragic to see how things were near the end of Mr. Davis' life, but there are some wondrous moments in the book all the same. His widow Altovise, to some great degree, is possessed of some sadness all her own (trying to recapture the ghosts of a past glorious life, while on the reduced dime of a modest living). There are warnings that are passed down to the prosecutor about her, which he keeps in the back of his mind, as he tries to do right by her and the late great Mr. Davis, Jr.
The power of ownership is a blessed thing, and the lack of it is a persistent thing in the most accursed squabbles over who gets what in the wake of a loved's one permanent departure. Promises are made to provide for team members, supporters, friends --- which are suddenly awash in the carrion call of the character George Harrison penned on "Revolver" as none other than the "Taxman."
Forgive how longwinded these thoughts of mine are.
If the famed "nothing is certain but death and taxes" quote could have a life story (and life-after-for-the-still-alive-after-the-end-of-your-life-story) designated for it, "Deconstructing Sammy" would be a fine contender. If nothing else, it'll remind you that in spite of what short ends one may have, it could be much, much worse (especially when you get in a higher earning bracket to the envy of many other career workers).

Wow. Thanks for the detail! As a law assistant who has helped draft numerous wills and trusts, this is quite intriguing. Makes me feel like I've done something worthwhile in my work if I've helped anyone avoid any part of this. Of course, I've never worked on anything to that scale, but still...
Thanks for sharing! 💚