Sammy Davis, Jr.'s death from oral/throat cancer in 1990 left the entertainment world bereft of a pioneer whose breadth of talent and determination to succeed in the face of racial adversity inspired many artists who followed.”

He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and his estate was the subject of legal battles after the death of his wife. Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his television performances.

Sammy Davis Jr. died of throat cancer in Beverly Hills in May 1990, his estate was valued at over $4 million dollars however he left a tax debt of nearly $5 million that due to interest and penalties, had increased to $7-million.

Sammy Davis, Jr. did not call himself “the most famous,” but “the only black, Puerto Rican, one-eyed, Jewish entertainer in the world.” From the age of three until his death, Davis (1925 – 1990) never stopped dancing, singing, acting and playing music.