The Candy Man
The Candy Man is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley for the movie, and the soundtrack version was sung by Aubrey Woods, who played the candy shop owner in the film. Newley also recorded his own version for his 1971 album Pure Imagination.
In 1972, Sammy Davis Jr. released a cover that became very famous. It stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and also topped the easy listening chart for two weeks. It was nominated for a Grammy and is one of Davis’s best-known songs, helping earn him the nickname “The Candy Man.” The Davis version features backing vocals from the Mike Curb Congregation. Davis reportedly disliked the song, but it became a big hit anyway.
The song has been covered by others over the years. In 2016, Zedd released a version called Candyman, featuring Aloe Blacc, for an M&M’s 75th anniversary campaign. It was produced by Zedd, Grey, and Joseph Trapanese and received a range of positive and mixed reviews.
The Candy Man remains a memorable song from Willy Wonka and continues to appear in films, TV, and other media.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:15 (CET).