Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music.
Early life and collaborations
Sammy Fain was born in New York City, to a family that was deeply rooted in the world of show business.
His uncle, for instance, Willie Howard, was a Vaudeville performer.
As a young man, Fain taught himself to play the piano.
Although he couldn't read music well, he had a natural talent for coming up with memorable melodies in the spur of the moment. In 1925, he composed his first piece: "Nobody Knows What a Red-headed Mama Can Do."
Until 1942, Fain worked extensively in collaboration with Irving Kahal.
Film works
Fain also composed music for more than 30 films in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ten times.
Of those ten nominations, two of the pieces were selected as winning works: "Secret Love" from
Calamity Jane won in 1953, and "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" won in 1955. Both of these pieces were co-written with lyricist Paul Francis Webster, another long-time collaborator.
Fain also contributed to the song scores for the
Walt Disney animated films
Alice in Wonderland,
Peter Pan, and
The Rescuers (the latter, soon to be his last effort, also earned him another Oscar nomination).
Further recognitions
In 1972, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Death
Fain died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California and was interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, in Emerson, New Jersey.
Work on Broadway
External links
