What did Sammy Davis Jr pass away from? What did Sammy Davis Jr died of?

Sammy Davis Jr. passed away on May 16, 1990, at the age of 64 in Beverly Hills, California, USA. He died of throat cancer. He had a nine-month battle with head and neck cancer that was treated with proton therapy, an alternative to radiation therapy that has less damage to surrounding tissue.

In 1953, Sammy Davis Jr was offered his own television show on ABC, Three for the Road—with the Will Mastin Trio. In 1954, Davis was hired to sing the title song for the Universal Pictures film Six Bridges to Cross.

Sammy Davis Jr had a starring role on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful with Chita Rivera (1956). In 1959, Davis became a member of the Rat Pack, led by his friend Frank Sinatra. In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean’s 11.

Sammy Davis Jr was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his television performances. In 2017, Davis was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.