Singing Sammy was born in Washington DC in 1925. When he was 5 he began singing at church. At 16 was the youngest member of the adult choir. He sang his first solo that very same year “Sweet Little Jesus Boy”.

That sounds like the perfect child doesn’t it? Away from church he was anything but perfect. As a young

teen he had a paper route. He befriended the super at an apartment house near his home. Sammy would go in there

and fold his papers and give the super some money. The super was to buy a bottle of alcohol for himself and one

for Sammy. Sammy would drink the bottle,deliver his papers, then go to school. He became an alcoholic. When he got older and started driving he wrecked one car after another because of his drinking.

Just before his 18th birthday he enlisted in the marines because his brother was a marine. When the war was

over he went back to Washington and got his singing career going again. He had a beautiful baritone voice and

was much in demand. He was drunk most of the time. He was a called a functionial drunk because he could still

do whatever he had to do no matter how much he drank.

In 1948 he married Debby. Debby told him one day: ” You have a choice either me or your singing career!” Sammy gave up his singing and left Washington DC and went to L.A. He owned a Gas Station/ Garage. and later got a job with Rockwell International working on computer programs. He and Debby Raised 5 children and 12

foster children..

He was under the influence most of the time. He and Debby loved to go to Laughlin and drink and gamble. Sammy retired at at age 58 to take care of Debby who had heart and lung problems. She could never give up the cigarettes even though they were killing her. In 1995 Debby died. Five years before she died Sammy went to AA with a friend and started his sobriety which still goes on today. Sammy also gave up smoking. Sammy was in

jeopardy of losing his singing voice because of the abuses. It scared him, the doctors wanted to do surgery he said no. He tried everything he could think of or heard about including weeks of silence and a faith healer. He got his voice back. He started thanking God and praising him. He vowed he would keep singing to God as long as his voice held out.