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Sammy Cahn Biography

Birth Name:Samuel Cohen

Birth Place:New York City, New York, United States

Profession Soundtrack, Music department, Actor, Writer, Producer

Fast Facts

  • An annual award for movie songs and scores that started in 1988 was named the Sammy Awards in his honor
  • Served as the president of the Songwriters Hall of Fame after his 1972 induction and was vice president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
  • The Cahn estate established the "High Hopes Fund" in 1993 at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston to honor the songwriter's wishes of helping children with diabetes through personal outreach and research
  • He played violin in a Dixieland band and a theater-pit orchestra, worked at a meat-packing plant, was an usher at a movie-house, worked as a tinsmith, operated a freight elevator, cashiered at a restaurant and was a porter at a bindery
  • Quote: "I don't sing songs, I do them․ I have too much respect for the word 'sing' to profane it․"
  • Wrote many top-ten successes for singer Frank Sinatra, including "Time After Time," "All the Way" and "High Hopes․"
  • A popular lyricist and composer, he often worked with Jule Styne and Jimmy Van Heusen to write songs for Broadway and film musicals
  • In 1974, his autobiography, "I Should Care," was published
  • Was often considered the highest-paid songwriter in the nation, sometimes earning over $1,000 a word
  • While his four sisters studied the piano, his mother felt that the piano was a woman's instrument and had him study violin instead

Awards

  • 1943Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1945Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1946Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1946Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1949Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1950Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1951Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1952Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1953Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1955Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
  • 1956Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1956Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1956Primetime Emmy-Best Musical Contribution: winner
  • 1956Primetime Emmy-Best Musical Contribution: nominated
  • 1957Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1958Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
  • 1959Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1959Golden Laurel-Top Song: nominated
  • 1960Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
  • 1960Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1961Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1962Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1962Golden Laurel-Top Song: nominated
  • 1964Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
  • 1964Golden Laurel-Top Song: nominated
  • 1965Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1965Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1965Golden Globe-Best Song: nominated
  • 1965Grammy-Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show: nominated
  • 1965Golden Laurel-Best Song: nominated
  • 1965Golden Laurel-Best Song: nominated
  • 1968Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1968Golden Globe-Best Original Song: nominated
  • 1969Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1969Golden Globe-Best Original Song: nominated
  • 1974Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1974Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
  • 1976Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
  • 1976Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
  • 1976Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated