On August 18, 1977, Sammy Davis, Jr., attended Elvis Presley's funeral in Memphis. In a memoir published in 1980, Davis included the following eulogy for his long time friend: “I don't trust the spate of books that came out after Presley's death. They showed him as a morose man, bedeviled with fears and doubts.

Davis died of complications from throat cancer two months later at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on May 16, 1990, at age 64. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

By now, they were beginning to gallivant around Las Vegas, where Sinatra helped open doors for Davis, doors that were usually closed to Black performers. Their relationship was a complicated one—Davis idolized Sinatra, and Sinatra may or may not have harbored a bit of jealousy towards Davis and his talent.