The 1972 number one that Sammy Davis Jr worried would ruin his career
Sammy Davis Jr initially feared that recording ‘The Candy Man’ would damage his reputation, believing the song could send his career “straight into the toilet”. Instead, the light-hearted track became his biggest solo chart success, showing how a song he regarded sceptically could broaden his appeal and define a new phase of his career.
Written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the song was reworked by producer Don Costa for Davis. Released in 1972, it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for three weeks, becoming Davis’s only US chart-topper.
- ‘The Candy Man’ became Sammy Davis Jr’s only US number one.
- Davis feared the song would harm his career.
- It spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.