Sammy Davis Jr and Jim Henson died on the same day in 1990. Sammy Davis Jr. passed away on May 16, 1990, at the age of 64, due to throat cancer. His death was mourned by many celebrities and politicians.
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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.
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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 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean’s 11.
Sammy Davis Jr was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987. In 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2017, Sammy Davis Jr was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. On May 27–28, 1973, Davis hosted the first annual 20-hour Highway Safety Foundation telethon.
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