Sammy Fain

• Name — Sammy Fain • Background — person • Birth Name — Samuel E. Feinberg • Born — 17 June 1902 • Birthplace — New York City, New York, United States • Died — 6 December 1989 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, United States • Instrument — Piano • Genre — Popular music • Occupation — * Composer • vocalist • musician

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. In the late 1920s, they created works including "Wedding Bells are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine" and "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella." Fain and Kahal also collaborated to write pieces for the play Right This Way, such as "I Can Dream, Can't I?" and "I'll Be Seeing You." The latter was especially popular during WWII, as it perfectly reflected the feelings of many American wives whose husbands were off fighting.

In 1972, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Fain died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California and was interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, in Emerson, New Jersey.

• Everybody's Welcome (1931) - musical - composer • Right This Way (1938) - musical - featured songwriter for "I'll Be Seeing You" • Hellzapoppin (1938) - revue - co-composer and co-lyricist • George White's Scandals of 1939 (1939) - revue - composer • Boys and Girls Together (1940) - revue - composer • Sons o' Fun (1941) - revue - co-composer and co-lyricist • Toplitzky of Notre Dame (1946) - musical - composer • Alive and Kicking (1950) - revue - co-composer • Flahooley (1951) - musical - composer • Ankles Aweigh (1955) - musical - composer • Catch a Star (1955) - revue - co-composer • Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 (1957) - revue - featured songwriter for "An Element of Doubt" • Christine (1960) - musical - composer • Something More! (1964) - musical - composer • Rock 'N Roll! The First 5,000 Years (1982) - revue - featured songwriter for "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" • Swing! (1999) - revue - featured songwriter for "I'll Be Seeing You" • Calamity Jane (2018) - musical - composer (first full staging in the NYC area)