It takes a special talent to be spotted by a legend like Sammy Davis Jr. It takes an incredibly confident woman to walk away from Sammy Davis Jr because she felt it was the best thing for the advancement of her own career. For that, we salute the bravery of Lola Falana.
Falana kicked off the 70s is controversial and headline-grabbing style when she posed for 'Playboy' magazine in 1970s. Some felt it would be the end of her career, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. Regular appearances on 'The Streets of San Francisco' and 'The New Bill Cosby' show made her a household name. Building on her success and focusing on acting as well as singing and dancing, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in 'The Liberation of L.B. Jones' and courted further controversy when she appeared in 1974's 'The Klansman.'