Samuel E. Feinberg, known professionally as Sammy Fain, was born on June 17, 1902, in New York City. He was an American composer of popular music who began his career as a self-taught pianist before focusing on songwriting and composition. He collaborated extensively with lyricists Irving Kahal and later Paul Francis Webster, contributing numerous works to The Great American Songbook and Broadway theatre. Notable songs include “Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Fain’s Broadway credits include works such as Flahooley and Ankles Aweigh. He composed music for several films and received ten Academy Award nominations, winning twice for Best Original Song with “Secret Love” from Calamity Jane (1953) and “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” (1955). Fain was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. He died on December 6, 1989, in Los Angeles, California.
