Sammy Davis, Jr.’s cause of death, confirmed

Sammy Davis, Jr. was a singular talent. He was one of the rare entertainers who could sing, dance, act, and joke with the absolute best in every field. He could do it all and then some, dominating pop culture for the better part of seven decades.

Sammy Davis, Jr. had about as full a life as any entertainer could hope to have. That said, his cause of death has experienced renewed interest due to the Starz documentary Autopsy: The Last Hours of Sammy Davis, Jr. To make sense of what happened during the entertainer’s final years, we decided to revisit his autopsy, so we could provide the answers that fans are looking for.

Sammy Davis, Jr. suffered from Laryngeal cancer

Sammy Davis, Jr. was a chain smoker, like so many mid-20th century superstars. He regularly smoked alongside Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and the rest of the Rat Pack when they were putting on shows in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the entertainer’s habit caught up to him in his later years.

A tumor was discovered in Sammy Davis, Jr.’s throat in 1989. It was diagnosed as being cancerous, and the entertainer was treated with eight weeks of radiation therapy. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, though, another tumor surfaced in 1990. An examination of what was initially thought to be a gum infection revealed an even bigger tumor, and this one was deemed inoperable. It was diagnosed as Laryngeal cancer. Davis, Jr. died as a result on May 16, 1990. He was 64 years old.

Was Sammy Davis, Jr. in a car accident?

Sammy Davis, Jr.’ official cause of death was Laryngeal cancer. There has been some confusion, however, as to whether a car accident was partially to blame for his untimely death. This is not the case. The reason there has been some confusion is that Davis was involved in a serious accident earlier in his life, which resulted in him losing an eye.

Daily Bulletin reports that Davis got in a crash on November 19, 1954 outside of San Bernardino, California. The entertainer suffered injuries to both his legs and his left eye. The injuries to his legs healed, but the eye did not. He wore an eye patch for six months following the accident, and friend Frank Sinatra helped out by covering the extensive medical bills. Davis would adopt a glass eye for the rest of his career.