Look at this.

Late in his life, in fact not long before he died, Sammy Davis Jr. was the subject of a tribute television special. Almost every living performer short of Joey Bishop with even the slightest connection to Davis participated, seriously, look at this cast list and tell me who's missing.

Sammy was seated in a special section right by the stage, so many of the performers addressed their remarks and/or performances directly to him. Including Frank Sinatra, who called him his brother.

But the moment that was one for the books came after Gregory Hines performed. Like Davis, Hines (who we would lose only 13 years later) was an award-winning, former child prodigy tap dancer and multi-talented performer; he idolized the older man. His performance has in it much of the talented pupil trying to please an old master.

Then Sammy, who I'll remind you again was very ill at the time-his legs were like matchsticks-reached for his tap shoes and took the stage. What followed was unbelivable.

The special is not available on video, but clips make it out as part of things like the Davis episode of Biography. I checked YouTube for it a few months ago but it wasn't up. Today, however, luck was with me. Look at this.