DECONSTRUCTING SAMMY Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob

In a compelling audio presentation, narrator Peter Jay Fernandez recounts the life of Sammy Davis, Jr., in a direct and engaging manner. While making each character distinctive, Fernandez's style persuades the listener to become deeply involved in this heartbreaking story. With each chapter, it becomes more difficult to believe the extent to which one of the great entertainers of the twentieth century was surrounded by people, including his widow, Altovise, who bamboozled him in order to ride on his famous and wealthy coattails. Investigative journalist Matt Birkbeck recounts the tragic life of Davis and how, after his death, his legacy was revived by the noble work of one Albert "Sonny" Murray, a former federal prosecutor. The quality of the audio presentation equals the intensity of the story itself. M.R.E. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]