Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.

SPECIAL 100TH BIRTHDAY EDITION OF THE CLASSIC BESTSELLER

"What have I got? No looks, no money, no education. Just talent . . . I've got to be a star. I have to be a star like another man has to breathe." --Sammy Davis, Jr.

Originally published in 1965, and now being reissued to commemorate Sammy Davis, Jr.'s hundredth birthday, Yes I Can is the groundbreaking and unforgettable legend's equally groundbreaking and unforgettable memoir, an absolute classic of its genre that retains its power and energy to this day. The famously frank entertainer (aka "Mr. Show Business" or, in his own words, "the only Black, Puerto Rican, one-eyed Jewish entertainer in the world") reveals the truth about working, creating art, and surviving as a Black performer in twentieth-century America. On its original release, Yes I Can was a rare and candid--and hugely bestselling--exploration of the living contradictions and tensions Davis confronted throughout his storied career. It remains so today.

Davis's star power dazzled the world for decades--from his beginnings as a vaudevillian and a nightclub act in segregated bars and theaters, to sharing the first interracial kisses on Broadway and on network TV, to running with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in the Rat Pack and with Elvis, Martin Luther King, Jr., and more. But out of the spotlight, he confronted racism and the unrelenting pressure to perform his identity inoffensively or face the consequences society imposed. His memoir was one of the first to immerse readers in the knotted intersection of Blackness and fame, recounted with unflinching honesty and a bold pursuit of authenticity.

Now, with a new introduction from Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson that reframes Davis for a new century, Yes I Can is a master class, a singular and revealing record of a man who subverted expectations with charm, humor, and what always appeared to be effortless grace, and the legacy born of his unique talents--and of the resilience that made him a star.

INCLUDES AN EXCLUSIVE SELECTION OF PHOTOS FROM THE ESTATE'S PRIVATE COLLECTION, CURATED BY MANNY DAVIS

Author: Sammy Davis,Jane Boyar,Burt Boyar
Publisher: Auwa
Published: 12/09/2025
Pages: 656
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 8.24h x 5.46w x 1.75d
ISBN: 9780374395438

About the Author

Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990) was a legendary singer, dancer, and actor known for landmark roles on stage and screen. A Rat Pack member, he broke racial barriers in Hollywood and beyond with his incredible talent. Known for "The Candy Man" and "Mr. Bojangles," Davis also championed civil rights and remains an icon of resilience and artistic excellence.

Jane Boyar (1933-1997) and Burt Boyar (1927-2018) were close, lifelong friends and collaborators of Sammy Davis, Jr. They worked with him on the writing of his classic, bestselling 1965 autobiography, Yes I Can, along with its 1989 follow-up, Why Me? Burt also spearheaded the publication of Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr., a book of black-and-white photographs taken by the legendary performer. The couple were also the authors of H. L. and Lyda: Growing Up in the H. L. Hunt and Lyda Bunker Hunt Family, Hitler Stopped by Franco, and the novels World Class and Invisible Scars.