Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the first African American performers in Las Vegas to get equal treatment. Before that, these establishments wouldn’t even host their talent and would give them boarding facilities outside the hotel. Davis Jr. was able to break color divides largely because of his friendship with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
It wasn’t just a social benefit but an entry point into a world that had eluded so many Black artists. Getting in was half the battle won. His audience was entirely white. The clubs he performed at still served people of color away from the main bar. Here he is pictured with Clint Eastwood in 1959 at the Sands Hotel.
Hanging with the Pearl
Janis Joplin found out about Woodstock just a couple of days prior. Thankfully, "The Pearl" did not have another commitment, and she and her band said yes to the performance. When she told her band they had a gig, she did not know how big of a deal it was. It was not until they arrived and saw the number of people in the crowd that they realized how big it was.
Janis Joplin performed on day two of Woodstock. She was also one of the biggest stars to perform. Despite her star status, Janis and her band did not leave after their iconic performance. They stayed at the festival until the end, to experience it all.
Sarah Silverman's Headshot
The differences between back then and nowadays headshots are significant. Just by looking at the famous one of Sarah Silverman, it's clear that a lot of progress has been made in photography and in Hollywood.
It was never easy for young actors to get cast during auditions, so they had to go through the hard way like all the others. They regularly heard the word NO much more than they did the word YES. This image is a headshot of Sarah Silverman, who said that she remembered the day this was taken very clearly. The photographer gave her his blazer so she looked more mature.
Dolly Parton at an NYC Club
While Bianca Jagger made the white horse famous, Dolly Parton was the reason the animal came to Studio 54 in the first place. Desperate to make the Queen of Country comfortable, owner Steve Rubell brought in the magnificent white beast. While Dolly loved her stunning white steed, plenty of other animals also roamed the disco.
Chickens and mules wandered through the exclusive club, joining the celebrities on the dance floor or finding a bit of solace in the decorative wagon filled with hay. It may have been an NYC nightclub, but Studio 54 boasted a strong touch of country.
Farah Fawcett Dances at Her Shampoo Party
American actress Farah Fawcett rose to fame after her iconic role in the 1976 TV show "Charlie's Angels." She played the blonde bombshell, and it earned her four Emmy Awards nominations and six Golden Globe nominations. Fawcett also loved to party, as you can see in the photo below, where she's happily dancing.
Fawcett was attending a party at Studio 54 in New York in 1978. The party was to promote the actress's new line of Hair products, namely the Faberge Farrah Fawcett Shampoo. Many will forget that Fawcett passed away on the exact same day as the one and only Michael Jackson.