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

Yes I Can The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr.

When Sammy Davis, Jr. published his autobiography in 1965, it was an immediate long-running bestseller as well as a revelation. Yes I Can describes Sammy Davis's personal conviction, the view of success that both propelled him to stardom from ghetto obscurity and served as his armor against racism.

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Stuff You Should Know

Sammy Davis Jr.'s book, 'Yes I Can', was briefly mentioned in the context of Frank Sinatra's influence on other artists, relating it to the concept of needing approval from higher-ups for creative control.

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Sammy Davis's Book yes, I can uh-huh and he says what they should have called it is yes I can as long as Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys

— Episode: Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

Episode: Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

Sammy Davis Jr.'s book, 'Yes I Can', was briefly mentioned in the context of Frank Sinatra's influence on other artists, relating it to the concept of needing approval from higher-ups for creative control.

"

Sammy Davis's Book yes, I can uh-huh and he says what they should have called it is yes I can as long as Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys

Episode: Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

It was mentioned as a book that Sammy Davis Jr. should have titled his book instead of "Yes I Can." The book title was discussed as a conversation about Frank Sinatra calling the shots for other singers.

"

yes I can uh-huh and he says what they should have called it is yes I can as long as Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys

Episode: Sammy Davis Jr: National Treasure

It was mentioned as Sammy Davis Jr.'s first memoir or autobiography, with a humorous reference to a scene in 'Spinal Tap' about the book's title.

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So Sammy Davis Jr. wrote a bunch of memoirs and autobiographies over the years, and one of them is a very great spinal tap joke. I know you still haven't seen it, right?

I think his first one was called Yes I Can.

And there's a great scene in Spinal Tap when Bruno Kirby as a limo driver is talking about it and he said something about yes I can. He said, although the real title should have been Yes I Can if Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.