Rat Pack Impressions

When the Rat Pack performed, in addition to songs and jokes, there were often some celebrity impressions thrown into the mix. Dean did pretty good impressions of Clark Gable and Cary Grant, and Frank played around as James Cagney. But the real impressionist in the group was Sammy, who did some spot-on imitations, both talking and singing.

But when it was time for the impressions, Frank and Dean pretended to make it hard for Sammy, by inviting him to the microphone and then cutting him off. They're seen needling Sammy this way during the Rat Pack benefit show filmed in St. Louis that's available on DVD.

When Sammy did his impressions, they included great imitations of singers like Tony Bennett, Vaughn Monroe and Nat King Cole, with the crowning touch being his singing impressions of both Dean and Frank as they looked on.

Today, you'll see impressions of Frank, Dean and Sammy performed by Rat Pack Impersonators.

Rat Pack Impersonators keep Mr. Bojangles alive

One of the most popular songs in a Rat Pack Tribute show is Mr. Bojangles, as it was performed by Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy's poignant treatment of the tune is captured by many of today's
Rat Pack Impersonators. Sammy had an album titled Mr. Bojangles, and after his death, his wife Altovise launched a live stage show about Sammy's musical career, named after the song.

But Mr. Bojangles, so associated with Sammy, was recorded by many diverse artists, including Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, John Denver, Chet Atkins, Elton John, Jim Croce, and Harry Belafonte, among others. In 1971, a version by a group called The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band reached number 9 on the Billboard pop chart.

These days, you're most likely to hear Mr. Bojangles performed in Sammy's style during a Rat Pack Tribute, where a performer will put on white gloves and a derby and offer a vocal, whistling, some tap dancing, and a lot of emotion. . .the way Sammy did it.

To see Sammy performing Mr. Bojangles, visit this Rat Pack Tribute Page at YouTube.

Me And My Shadow & The Rat Pack

Rat Pack stars Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. performed many solo hits during their Rat Pack years. But one song, Me And My Shadow, teamed up Frank and Sammy for some playful singing and dancing. And the lyrics about closeness between two friends fit them well. They even had a version with special lyrics making reference to things like the Kennedys with Frank and Sammy singing "we're closer than Bobby is to JFK". Their special lyrics also referred to Frank's restaurateur friend Toots Shor and Frank's best friend Jilly Rizzo, also a restaurant owner and regular Sinatra companion.

Rat Pack fans might think the song originated with Frank and Sammy because it was so appropriate, but it had history long before they performed it. It goes back to 1927 and was written by Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer, with a credit also for Al Jolson, whose name often appeared with the writers.

Me And My Shadow was performed by many singers over the years, including Perry Como, Judy Garland, Vic Damone and Peggy Lee. Today, the song is performed more than ever, as a regular number during shows by Rat Pack Impersonators. A performance of Me And My Shadow by Frank and Sammy appears on the DVD titled Sinatra: The Classic Duets.

Rat Pack Impersonators Songs

Some Rat Pack Impersonators groups start their show with their Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. tribute artists taking the stage all at once for an opening song. It might be Where Or When or The Lady Is A Tramp. After that, one of the performers usually remains on stage for some solo songs, after which the others also take their turns for solos.

There are almost always duets of Me And My Shadow featuring the Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra impersonators, and Sam's Song with the Dean and Sammy acts.

Popular songs for all three to perform include Luck Be A Lady, Birth Of The Blues and Mack The Knife.

And finally, the show often includes two Frank Sinatra titles that aren't really Rat Pack era songs, but are crowd pleasers. And those would be My Way and New York, New York.