When I was a kid, I was Sammy Davis Jr. before I was anyone else. I started my entertainment career as a tap dancer. That was what led to my first appearance on television, in Philadelphia on KYW-TV.

Adds Don Cheadle: "Sammy Davis, Jr., was not only a towering, sui generis talent but also a performer who used his platform and prestige to fight for equality and justice" A century ago, on Dec. 8, ...

For what would have been his 100th birthday, PEOPLE spoke to some of Sammy Davis Jr.'s former friends and colleagues Scott Huver is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. He has been writing about entertainment ...