Tome 'deconstructs' Sammy Davis Jr's life

New York, Aug 5 : Multi talented American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr is said to have been broke when he passed away.

The singer was in debt to the IRS, and left his estate in such a shambles that it still hasn't been straightened out.

From what has been gleaned from the story "Deconstructing Sammy" by journalist Matt Birkbeck, Davis didn't have to die either.

Davis had been diagnosed with cancer in August 1989, and doctors had recommended surgery on his throat that offered an 80 percent chance of survival.

But thinking about his financial situation, he opted instead for radiation, which had a slim 30 percent survival rate. If he couldn't sing, he reasoned, he couldn't make money.

Despite more than 50 million dollars in lifetime earnings, Davis died in 1990 some 15 million dollars in debt, owing more than half to the IRS for investments in bogus tax shelters.

ANI