Sammy Cahn - Personal Life

Personal Life

Sammy Cahn died on January 15, 1993 at the age of 79 in Los Angeles, California. His remains were interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

He was married twice: first to vocalist and former Goldwyn girl Gloria Delson in 1945, with whom he had two children, and later to Virginia "Tita" Basile in 1970. He changed his last name from Cohen to Kahn to avoid confusion with comic and MGM actor Sammy Cohen and again from Kahn to Cahn to avoid confusion with lyricist Gus Kahn.

His second wife was Virginia (Tita) Curtis, a former fashion coordinator for the clothes designer Donald Brooks. He was the father of Laurie Cahn and jazz/fusion guitarist Steve Khan who, early in his career, changed the spelling of his last name to Khan in order to "create a separate identity from famous father" and because he was "so hurt and angry with him for so many childhood things."

Composer Garrison Hintz exchanged numerous letters with Sammy Cahn regarding musical composition and credits Mr. Cahn with teaching him the craft of lyric writing.

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