Tracey Davis was the daughter of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and Swedish actress May Britt, but she built a public identity of her own as a writer and television producer. Her two books described a childhood shaped by his frequent absences and their later reconciliation. She also raised four children and worked behind the camera. Davis died in Tennessee in 2020 at age 59, leaving a firsthand record of the family’s private life.
Tracey Davis (1961–2020) was the daughter of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and actress May Britt. A television producer and mother of four, she wrote two books about growing up with her famous father and rebuilding their relationship. She died in Franklin, Tennessee, at age 59; her exact cause of death was not established.
Tracey Davis – Quick Bio
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tracey Hillevi Davis |
| Date of Birth | July 5, 1961 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Date of Death | November 2, 2020 |
| Age at Death | 59 years |
| Place of Death | Franklin, Tennessee, United States |
| Father | Sammy Davis Jr. |
| Mother | May Britt (1934–2025) |
| Siblings | Mark Davis, Jeff Davis, and Manny Davis |
| Former Husbands | Guy Garner and Jim Cotta |
| Children | Sam, Montana, Greer, and Chase |
| Education | California State University, Northridge |
| Profession | Author, television producer, and commercial producer |
| Known For | Writing two books about her father, Sammy Davis Jr. |
Who Was Tracey Davis? Early Life and Family
Tracey Hillevi Davis was born on July 5, 1961, in Los Angeles. Her parents had married the previous November, when Sammy Davis Jr. was already a major nightclub, recording, and film star. After the couple separated, she grew up in Nevada near Lake Tahoe, where May Britt moved with her children. She later graduated from California State University, Northridge, in the mid-1980s, according to a New York Times obituary excerpt preserved by the university.
The official Sammy Davis Jr. biography identifies Tracey as the couple’s daughter and Mark and Jeff as their adopted sons. Mark joined the family in 1963 and Jeff in 1965, according to a PBS American Masters chronology. Her father later married dancer Altovise Gore, and they adopted Manny.
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Growing Up With Fame and Racial Prejudice
Tracey’s childhood unfolded under the pressure of her father’s demanding performance schedule. Davis was a member of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, appeared on Broadway, and maintained a career built around touring and live appearances. His success did not ensure regular time at home. Tracey later described his missed family occasions, including her college graduation, as sources of hurt.
Her parents’ interracial marriage was also the subject of public hostility. At a time when many American states still prohibited interracial marriage, the Black entertainer and the white Swedish actress encountered threats and racist abuse. Tracey discussed that hostility in later interviews, while also emphasizing the affection between her parents. A Guardian retrospective on May Britt records the opposition the family faced. Britt died in December 2025 at 91.
Tracey also discussed what that marriage cost her mother’s acting career. Britt had worked in Hollywood before the wedding but stopped performing for a period after becoming Sammy’s wife. Her daughter’s account placed that decision alongside the dangers of public scrutiny, rather than reducing the marriage to a glamorous celebrity romance. She later examined how racial hostility and her father’s fame affected her family, writing about both her admiration and her disappointment.
How Tracey Davis Reconnected With Sammy Davis Jr.
Their relationship changed in adulthood. In a 2014 Los Angeles Times interview, Tracey recalled talking openly with her father about the distance between them. Those conversations allowed both to acknowledge frustrations that had accumulated over years. Their relationship grew closer during his final years.
Sammy was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1989. As his health declined, his daughter visited him in Beverly Hills and listened to stories about his childhood, career, friendships, and encounters with racial discrimination. She was pregnant with her first child during this period. When her father could no longer speak comfortably, they could still spend time together without conversation.
Her memories included the friendships surrounding her father’s career, especially Frank Sinatra, whom she knew personally. In a 2014 Chapter 16 interview, she recalled family occasions involving Sinatra and explained how her father used humor when discussing prejudice. Those recollections gave her books details available only to someone who had spent time with the people involved.
On April 20, 1990, Tracey gave birth to her son Sam. She brought the baby to meet his grandfather before Sammy died on May 16, 1990, at 64. The entertainer met his grandson, a milestone Tracey later recalled.
The Two Books She Wrote About Her Father
Her first memoir, Sammy Davis Jr.: My Father, was published in 1996 and written with Dolores A. Barclay, an Associated Press editor. Rather than offering a conventional account of performances and awards, it followed Tracey’s experiences with an often-absent parent, the consequences of his fame, and their eventual reconciliation. A contemporary Kirkus Reviews assessment describes the book’s emphasis on family tensions and their resolution.
In 2014, she returned to the subject with Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal Journey With My Father, written with Nina Bunche Pierce. The illustrated volume drew on family photographs and conversations she had with her father toward the end of his life. It looked more closely at the man behind his public reputation, including his early struggles and how discrimination shaped his career. Together, the books offer a daughter’s evolving perspective rather than an impersonal catalog of the star’s achievements.
A Career Behind the Camera
Writing was only one part of Davis’s professional life. She worked in television and commercial production, a field that allowed her to contribute creatively without pursuing her father’s performing career. In her interview with Chapter 16, she explained that producing and working behind the camera were what suited her. Being Sammy Davis Jr.’s daughter was her most recognizable connection, but it was not her only occupation.
She also took an interest in how his work and story would be remembered. In October 2020, MGM announced plans for a biographical movie based on her first memoir. It was an announcement of a proposed production, not a completed film.
Tracey Davis’s Husbands and Four Children
Tracey married Guy Garner in 1986. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2001. She also married Jim Cotta, and that marriage likewise ended in divorce, according to biographical details reported in her 2020 obituary. Garner was the former husband who later confirmed her death to the Associated Press.
She was the mother of four children: Sam, Montana, Greer, and Chase. A publisher biography names all four, while obituary reporting identifies Sam and Montana Garner as children from her marriage to Garner, and Greer and Chase Cotta as children from her marriage to Cotta. She discussed motherhood publicly without making every aspect of her children’s lives part of her work.
In 2014, Tracey spoke about Montana’s interest in music and her own preference for production rather than performance. That contrast is a useful reminder that artistic work in this family took different forms across generations.
Tracey Davis’s Death and Cause of Death
Tracey died on November 2, 2020, in Franklin, Tennessee, at age 59. Her former husband Guy Garner confirmed the news to the Associated Press, which reported that she had experienced a short illness. At the time, the cause had not been determined, and dependable reporting does not establish a specific diagnosis.
Searches asking whether she died of COVID-19 should not be mistaken for evidence that she did. The reported short illness is not enough to identify a disease. Her four children and wider family survived her.
Her Place in the Sammy Davis Jr. Story
Tracey’s work is valuable because it records experiences that publicity photographs and performance histories could not easily capture. She portrayed a father who could command an audience yet struggle with the ordinary responsibilities of family life. Her recollections also connected his professional achievements to the racial hostility he faced and to the personal choices that shaped his home.
Her writing adds a daughter’s perspective to other histories of the performer. No dependable public accounting establishes her personal net worth, so unsupported estimates should not be presented as fact.
The name also appears in unrelated searches. J.K. Rowling’s original list of Hogwarts students includes a fictional character named Tracey Davis. That character has no connection to Sammy Davis Jr.’s daughter, the American author and producer.
Conclusion
Tracey Davis was more than Sammy Davis Jr.’s daughter. She was a producer, mother of four, and author whose two memoirs documented the difficult and ultimately closer relationship she shared with her father. Her account remains important not because it simplifies his life, but because it preserves its personal dimensions alongside his public legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What was Tracey Davis’s cause of death?
Tracey Davis died on November 2, 2020, at age 59 in Franklin, Tennessee. Her former husband reported that she had experienced a short illness. The Associated Press stated that the cause of death had not yet been determined. There is no reliable confirmation that COVID-19 caused her death.
2. Who was Tracey Davis’s husband?
Tracey Davis was married to Guy Garner from 1986 until their divorce in 2001. She was also married to Jim Cotta, and that marriage ended in divorce. Both marriages are documented in obituary reporting.
3. How many children did Tracey Davis have?
Tracey Davis had four children: Sam Garner, Montana Garner, Greer Cotta, and Chase Cotta. Sam and Montana were from her marriage to Guy Garner, while Greer and Chase were from her marriage to Jim Cotta.
4. What books did Tracey Davis write about Sammy Davis Jr.?
She wrote Sammy Davis Jr.: My Father in 1996 with Dolores A. Barclay and Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal Journey With My Father in 2014 with Nina Bunche Pierce. Both books discuss her father’s life, career, and their relationship.
5. Was Tracey Davis connected to Harry Potter?
No. Sammy Davis Jr.’s daughter had no connection to the Harry Potter franchise. A fictional student named Tracey Davis appears in J.K. Rowling’s original Hogwarts student notes. They are entirely different individuals.
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