Samuel Cohen, known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, he initially studied violin and, following his bar mitzvah, joined a small dixieland band called Pals of Harmony. Inspired by vaudeville, he wrote his first lyric, “Like Niagara Falls, I’m Falling for You – Baby,” and later began early professional work with Saul Chaplin, writing special material for Warner Brothers’ musical short subjects and developing a reputation in comedy and performance writing. Cahn saw major success through collaborations with Frank Sinatra, particularly during Sinatra’s Capitol Records era, as well as with artists such as Dean Martin and Doris Day. Among his most notable songs are “Three Coins in the Fountain” and “Love and Marriage.” He won four Academy Awards for his songwriting and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. He died on January 15, 1993, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 79.
