hey, i realise this is literally half a decade old (wow that's scary) but for anyone that stumbles onto this comment I just wanted to say I'll never remove this vid and I have it backed up, so if it ever gets taken down I'll make sure it's uploaded again
Mr. Davis not only had a beautiful and powerful voice, he could transport you body, soul, and spirit into the depth of his emotion. I was with him there on the banks of the river. This performance brought a tear to my eyes. I miss him very much.
He also brought me to the banks of that river, he brought all of us bloodlines of the used and abused to that rivers edge. No one brings situations to Life like Sammy!. Rest in peace my brother, you will never be forgotten.
He was extraordinary! Highly gifted -- magnificent voice, superb dancer, all around great entertainer! While he's not with us anymore, his legacy lives on in vocals and videos. Thank you, Sammy. You will never be forgotten!!
Oh yes Pete, He could sing, dance, play musical instruments, he could do impressions, he could entertain 2 hours straight and you'd swear he just started his set. HE WAS THE MAN!!!!!
The most "soulful" rendition of "Ol' Man River" ever. The phrasing, dynamics and pauses are classic Sammy Davis, Jr. I love at the end when he changes the lyrics from "skeered of dyin'" to "but ain't afraid of dyin'.'"
He was soooo Talented. Entertainer Extrodinaire: Singer, Dancer, Actor, Comedian, Impressionist! What could he not do? He played a bitter gunman looking for revenge in a Rifleman episode. Just Incredible!
No computer animated stuff no autotune just the singer with an incredible voice singing in actually telling the story of the song this was an absolute fantastic performance of this song
😂😂Every time I hear this song i can't believe Sammy doesn't get a standing ovation at the end of this song. His singing of this song is like an artist painting a picture of the old south. I wish i had been in the audience that night he would have got what he truly deserved. Keep rolling along Sammy.
Sammy Davis Jr., a truly gifted performer, humanitarian, and writer. Back in the late 1960s, he wrote his life story in a book titled, "Yes I Can!" which was a real page turner. I was in high school then, and his book really got me in the heart. His book made you laugh, cry, and question life. Driving around Vegas, I always feel his presence on the marquees and at the Moulin Rouge. He was the star who blazed the way for other Black and minority entertainers. An incredible human being!
It gives me goosebumps. What a fantastic interpretation. We almost forget about the slavery and racism and think that people should be friends and together against racism. Great Sammy.
Gosh, I miss Sammy Davis Jr.!! He was So talented, acting, singing and dancing.. along with a comic side too! RIH Sammy!! Singing with the angel's choir..
JESUS!! I was wondering how he was going to sing this sitting down, especially the climax. He finally does stand up, but that guy had so much power packed into that small body he didn't really need to stand up to draw in a lot of breath. I'm not too crazy how he phrases some of the lyrics, but the final chorus is one of the most powerful, beautiful, tragic things I've ever heard. Chills, indeed.
Spellbinding performance by one the All time Greatest performers... who knew how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand.. Brilliant singer dancer comic impressionist and could act not only on screen but like any great singer , through song.. storytelling...He is irreplaceable!
What a voice, what an entertainer! Such power coming from this pint sized man. I respect Mr Davis for daring to fight for and dream that there may come a time when racism would vanish and equality would prevail. This hasn't fully happened, but I appreciate his spirit and the way he always fought for folks like me.
Great comments. I saw Sammy several times in the Detroit area. Fantastic entertainer for all races. This is the best version of o'le man river, surpasses the original for raw emotion.
The Wonderful talent of Sammy Davis Jr, how privileged have we been to witness his gift to the World. Thank you so much Sammy Davis Jr Peace be with you ❤
From what he went through ie Tom Crow, even when he was part of the ," Rat Pack" it's an honour to what's him come through all that. He invented the triple threat, god bless you , Mr Davis
Sammy didn't sing this song very much, maybe once every year or two, but when he did, he would get a Standing O in the middle of the show. I've seen him sing this in person, and it was even better than this wonderful performance. It was non-stop Chill-City.
Thank you Sammy Davis,Jr. for "Ol'Man River." This is one of my favorite songs. Also love the message of learning to be proud being a human being and not letting anyone put you down. Sincerely, Robert S.J. Hu February 25, 2019..
john Gordon Sinatra was a great pop singer but Old Man River was hardly his best song. Generally better left to classically trained basses or bass-baritones.
john Gordon YOUR SOOOO RIGHT SAMMY WAS A GREAT ENTERTAINER BUT NO SINATRA... GOD BLESS FRANK IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM THE WORLD WOULDN'T KNOW SAMMY DAVIS JR.
I come back to this video over and over for YEARS. Always late at night just losing myself in the lyrics while laying in bed. And WAITING for that ending. It never lets me down and the chills keep rolling along. Thank you for keeping this posted all these years.
Pianists, just like drummers in any style of music are the heartbeat, the singers follow them. If they screwed up, the singer will have to improvise orrrr it'll just sound like crap. Vice versa with the pianist, they work together as a working body.
+Terrance Holt - I'm a little confused. You name two Gershwin compositions, but this song was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II -- from Showboat.
4:36 - he sneaks in a little Black Power salute without wanting to alarm his very white audience. The defiant standing up and lyric change to '' I ain't afraid of dying '' makes the same point. Beautiful.
drumraine I noticed the lyric change, not as powerful as the original. I think he stood up to open his diaphragm for a killer ending, but it didn't happen.
this has got to be among my favorite UA-cam discoveries ever. thank you, Mr. Hughes. the performance has a raw energy, and there is a sense of tension as well...considering the seemingly all-white audience (in what is, I think, 1969?) hearing this kind of intention being put behind what most of them knew by then as a nice old show tune.
It is the best Version I ever heard - free from trivial make-up its, brutal, honest - bravissimo Sammy - you still belong to the greatest of all-time
Hans-Horst Mueller Paul Robeson
bravo well said....
Hans-Horst Mueller I'm particularly fond of Ramey Samuel's version
Curtiss Nelson; Exactly! Paul Robeson! The best! Also Samuel Ramey!
think paris 85 better but both great
Please never remove this, it's pure class
hey, i realise this is literally half a decade old (wow that's scary) but for anyone that stumbles onto this comment I just wanted to say I'll never remove this vid and I have it backed up, so if it ever gets taken down I'll make sure it's uploaded again
I want to give Sammy millions and millions of likes. No one like him.
One million likes from the Netherlands.
Mr. Davis not only had a beautiful and powerful voice, he could transport you body, soul, and spirit into the depth of his emotion. I was with him there on the banks of the river. This performance brought a tear to my eyes. I miss him very much.
well said
He also brought me to the banks of that river, he brought all of us bloodlines of the used and abused to that rivers edge. No one brings situations to Life like Sammy!.
Rest in peace my brother, you will never be forgotten.
He should have gotten a standing ovation for that. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Well, sure - but there was no need for it, he knew what he just did!
@@propeller89 Just watched it again after having left this comment three years ago. Yeah....he deserved a standing ovation.
@@propeller89 He literally dropped the mic! BRAVO Sammy!!!
If I'd been there I would have stood up. My soul would have demanded it!!
@@MrChelseabun Absolutely.
He was extraordinary! Highly gifted -- magnificent voice, superb dancer, all around great entertainer! While he's not with us anymore, his legacy lives on in vocals and videos. Thank you, Sammy.
You will never be forgotten!!
This man, Sammy Davis Jr, is on a completely different level to any other born individual.
Oh yes Pete, He could sing, dance, play musical instruments, he could do impressions, he could entertain 2 hours straight and you'd swear he just started his set. HE WAS THE MAN!!!!!
Absolutely ❤️
Bullshit. Listen to Paul Robeson. Additionally - Sinatra didn't change the lyrics like Sammy did.
@@markbeames7852 spell his name right if you’re such a fan
@@timfarmer oh my! Did I touch a nerve? LOL
The most "soulful" rendition of "Ol' Man River" ever. The phrasing, dynamics and pauses are classic Sammy Davis, Jr. I love at the end when he changes the lyrics from "skeered of dyin'" to "but ain't afraid of dyin'.'"
Just shut up.
The Paul Robson lyrics as original stand. You're wrong. You're not afraid of dying? Oh, okay.
I think the original version makes more sense, but Sammy’s singing is the best I’ve heard of this song
He was soooo Talented.
Entertainer Extrodinaire:
Singer, Dancer, Actor, Comedian, Impressionist!
What could he not do?
He played a bitter gunman looking for revenge in a Rifleman episode.
Just Incredible!
That is the most powerful singing ever. I mean holy shit, if that doesn't give you the chills you're probably dead inside.
This is the best version of this song that I've ever heard.
No computer animated stuff no autotune just the singer with an incredible voice singing in actually telling the story of the song this was an absolute fantastic performance of this song
You're damn right! Pure talent.
But its a free country and he did say it so.......there.....
BBBYpsi hear! hear! 👏🏼
I wish I had been there in that audience to witness this outstanding performance, they should be on their feet for this Legend
This song meant so much to Sammy I saw him perform this at the London Palladium it brought the house down
One of the greatest artists of our time!! He cannot receive enough tributes.
The best there ever was or will be. So much talent in one man. Mr. Entertainment. Was privileged to see him perform many times. Loved this man, SAMMY.
Awwwwwww he was so broken here...you can feel his pain regret and humility
This version of Ol'Man River is my favourite...
What a beautiful rendering of this wonderful song. Many thanks for this.
😂😂Every time I hear this song i can't believe Sammy doesn't get a standing ovation at the end of this song. His singing of this song is like an artist painting a picture of the old south. I wish i had been in the audience that night he would have got what he truly deserved. Keep rolling along Sammy.
It's good to hear him sing the full introduction.
I believe that's called the prelude.
His voice will never be silenced.
"But I ant afraid of dying" this one line just took me out! My emotions MY EMOTIONS
The Best entertainer in the world. And will be always will be
Never realised how stunning his voice was
Sammy Davis Jr., a truly gifted performer, humanitarian, and writer. Back in the late 1960s, he wrote his life story in a book titled, "Yes I Can!" which was a real page turner. I was in high school then, and his book really got me in the heart. His book made you laugh, cry, and question life. Driving around Vegas, I always feel his presence on the marquees and at the Moulin Rouge. He was the star who blazed the way for other Black and minority entertainers. An incredible human being!
In the book Ordeal, Linda Lovelace recounts the time Sammy Davis Jr. gave oral sex to her handler Mr. Trainor during a movie.
What passion, he gave it everything he could!
It gives me goosebumps. What a fantastic interpretation. We almost forget about the slavery and racism and think that people should be friends and together against racism. Great Sammy.
I didn't have you down as an idealist Faycal, but maybe you are just a forward thinker, like this man was...
This is so powerful, I can't stop watching it. Sammy was an awesome talent. May he RIP.
Gosh, I miss Sammy Davis Jr.!! He was So talented, acting, singing and dancing.. along with a comic side too! RIH Sammy!! Singing with the angel's choir..
JESUS!! I was wondering how he was going to sing this sitting down, especially the climax. He finally does stand up, but that guy had so much power packed into that small body he didn't really need to stand up to draw in a lot of breath. I'm not too crazy how he phrases some of the lyrics, but the final chorus is one of the most powerful, beautiful, tragic things I've ever heard. Chills, indeed.
what Bruce said
And just think... he was a 4 pack a day smoker!!!
"...but i aint't afraid of dying..." great twist!
Spellbinding performance by one the All time Greatest performers... who knew how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand.. Brilliant singer dancer comic impressionist and could act not only on screen but like any great singer , through song.. storytelling...He is irreplaceable!
What a voice, what an entertainer! Such power coming from this pint sized man. I respect Mr Davis for daring to fight for and dream that there may come a time when racism would vanish and equality would prevail. This hasn't fully happened, but I appreciate his spirit and the way he always fought for folks like me.
Well said, Valincia.
Great comments. I saw Sammy several times in the Detroit area. Fantastic entertainer for all races. This is the best version of o'le man river, surpasses the original for raw emotion.
bneibilhah.blogspot.com/2019/07/blog-post_7.html
Sammy always was an icon against in-humanity!!!
The Wonderful talent of Sammy Davis Jr, how privileged have we been to witness his gift to the World. Thank you so much Sammy
Davis Jr
Peace be with you ❤
What a totally stupendous version of an old song! Sammy Davies Jr, the real master.
MsG
One of the greatest singers of his era....in order for this song to work one must embody it ....Davis did just that and magically so.
Not only a fantastic performance by Sammy, but also a great piano arrangement. Best of all versions I ever heard
"life gets weary, and I'm sick of trying, I'm tiered of living, but I ain't afraid of dying!" Wow.
Come on...how does it get better? This is it...this is it!
Oh, Lord, you are amazing, Sammy; I just can´t stop being gratefull for your voice
They were witnessing a a special moment in entertainment history- it’s like a musical production perfection 🙏
Right? I remember seeing him on TV, but really beautiful to reintroduce myself to this great man.
From what he went through ie Tom Crow, even when he was part of the ," Rat Pack" it's an honour to what's him come through all that. He invented the triple threat, god bless you , Mr Davis
@@johnhodgson4588 Jim Crow. He went through Jim Crow.
Bravo, Sammy could feel the chains!
The Wham of Sam! Even Old Blue Eyes couldn't top this one.
Absolute giant of a man, talent, charisma and stage presence, Sammy had it in bucketloads, Rest in peace sir.
He could sing, dance, act, do spot-on impressions--there wasn't anything Sammy couldn't do. Amazing performer.
I never thought I would ever like this guy...now just love him to bits!
This is incredible! I can't stop watching it!
i am lost for words.... god, was he a master!
I think this is the first time I actually LISTENED to the lyrics to this song. Sammy sold EVERY word, right down from the depths of his soul.
I'm gonna need someone to get those onions away from my face. #thankyouverymuch #imnotcryingyourecrying
All time great man entertainer singer. I would loved to have seen him perform
Proper singing, not like today god bless Sammy
Flawless!
Lord, where do you find men like him..Has to be the first amongst equals..Gotta be the greatest singer-actor tap dancer ever.
What a voice
We need to listen to what he is saying.Peace,Love
Simply Amazing!
Dazzling in his power. A small man, and a huge talent.
I grew up with this GREAT performer and i miss him so.
Thank goodness for UA-cam !! I love how he reached those notes at the end :)
Literal chills at the enddd❤❤
Man they don't make em like this cool cat anymore!! Amazeballz! Love the actual mic drop at the end ;)
Camera operator was at the top of his game.
Beautiful. Feel like crying.
A-Maz-Ing rendition. Bravo Sammy
Thank you Sammy, this is my favorite Version of this song 💗💗Wow!..You sing it with so much feeling.💗
Omg 😱 brought me to tears ! My favorite version ❣️❣️❣️
Iconic singer and iconic song love sdj
Sammy didn't sing this song very much, maybe once every year or two, but when he did, he would get a Standing O in the middle of the show. I've seen him sing this in person, and it was even better than this wonderful performance. It was non-stop Chill-City.
I love the shot from the 4:00 to 4:14 mark, that shows the audience totally captivated by this remarkable performance.
Thank you Sammy Davis,Jr. for "Ol'Man River." This is one of my favorite songs. Also love the message of learning to be proud being a human being and not letting anyone put you down. Sincerely, Robert S.J. Hu February 25, 2019..
Totally brilliant 🙏🏻
Sammy Davis what a talented guy
Sammy Davis is fantastic
Powerful! Truth in life.
What a Mensch Sam was. He was a true credit to our people the Jews, and to our partners the Blacks.
Danny was 1 of the best live theatrical singers I've heard he could entertain and impersonate a real singer never forgotten what a character
amazing performance of one of the most iconic songs ever!
Great........but he was no Sinatra. No one sang that like Frank
john Gordon
Sinatra was a great pop singer but Old Man River was hardly his best song. Generally better left to classically trained basses or bass-baritones.
john Gordon YOUR SOOOO RIGHT SAMMY WAS A GREAT ENTERTAINER
BUT NO SINATRA... GOD BLESS FRANK IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM THE WORLD WOULDN'T KNOW SAMMY DAVIS JR.
I come back to this video over and over for YEARS.
Always late at night just losing myself in the lyrics while laying in bed.
And WAITING for that ending.
It never lets me down and the chills keep rolling along.
Thank you for keeping this posted all these years.
Brilliant and genius level here...
2:45 Christ what voice control. He had that vibrato down to a tee
The piano player (anyone know who?) must get some well-deserved credit, quite in time with Sammy, probably not easy to do !
Pianists, just like drummers in any style of music are the heartbeat, the singers follow them. If they screwed up, the singer will have to improvise orrrr it'll just sound like crap. Vice versa with the pianist, they work together as a working body.
All instrumentalists follow the solo singer. It's not a secret.
Sammy's pianist was George Rhodes; it's a pretty good bet it's him
BEAUTIFUL💐💐💐💐💐💐💐
Behold the interpretation of a grandmaster. Wow!
Gives me chills every time I return to listen to this amazing man sing this song.
Powerhouse rendition!
Old Man River, Rhapsody In Blue, Summertime. Doesn't matter who by, I CAN'T GET ENOUGH!!!!!!!!
+Terrance Holt - I'm a little confused. You name two Gershwin compositions, but this song was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II -- from Showboat.
+Donald Morrison So? Now I'm confused! ha ha
+Boo Hargis Apparently you are.
Very moving. What talent this man had.
SO HEARTTOUCHING
Best version of this song
What a legend
Gone but never forgotten.
the greatest...
4:36 - he sneaks in a little Black Power salute without wanting to alarm his very white audience. The defiant standing up and lyric change to '' I ain't afraid of dying '' makes the same point. Beautiful.
drumraine You're right, it was beautiful. But he didn't really "sneak" in the black power salute. The salute was one of Sammy's trademarks.
drumraine I noticed the lyric change, not as powerful as the original. I think he stood up to open his diaphragm for a killer ending, but it didn't happen.
eckankar Tough critic.
He did it as his old trademark "I'll keep you in my heart always" gesture.
drumraine his "white audience" didn't care about the color of his skin they were there to see him sing as do I.
What a gift Sammy was blessed with.
This should be our National Anthem.
Kudos to you Sammy In Heaven . I Love it !
Amazing
tears. so great.
this has got to be among my favorite UA-cam discoveries ever. thank you, Mr. Hughes. the performance has a raw energy, and there is a sense of tension as well...considering the seemingly all-white audience (in what is, I think, 1969?) hearing this kind of intention being put behind what most of them knew by then as a nice old show tune.
mind blowing