The composer who created the soundtracks for some of Disney’s best-known films, including Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, has died.
Richard M Sherman, half of the award-winning pair of brothers who wrote more than 150 songs for disneyHe died on Saturday at age 95 due to an age-related illness.
Sherman and his brother Robert won two academy awards for the 1964 hit Mary Poppins: best soundtrack and best song for Chim Chim Cher-ee.
They also collected a grandmother for the best film or television soundtrack. Robert Sherman died in London in 2012 at age 86.
His hundreds of credits as a lyricist and joint composer include the films Winnie the Pooh, The Slipper And The Rose, Snoopy Come Home, Charlotte’s Web and The Magic of Lassie.
The Shermans also wrote the soundtracks for films such as The Sword And The Stone, The Parent Trap, Bedknobs And Broomsticks, The Jungle Book, The Aristocrats and The Tigger Movie.
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It’s A Small World, which accompanies guests on the boat ride through Disney theme parks, was also written by the brothers and is believed to be the most played song in the world.
They also had success on Broadway and on the charts: Their musicals included 1974’s Over Here and performances of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the mid-2000s.
The Shermans wrote songs like Tall Paul for former mouseketeer Annette Funicello and You’re Sixteen, which she later recorded Ringo Starrbefore its decades-long association with Disney began in the 1960s.
Disney said in a statement: “Generations of moviegoers and theme park visitors have been introduced to the world of Disney through the magnificent, timeless songs of the Sherman Brothers.
“Even today, the duo’s work remains Walt Disney’s quintessential lyrical voice.”
Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber in the 1964 film Mary Poppins. Photo: Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock
The Shermans’ other awards include 23 gold and platinum albums and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The pair became the only Americans to win first prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer in 1973 and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
President George W. Bush He awarded them the National Medal of Arts in 2008, praised for music that “has helped bring joy to millions.”
Richard M Sherman with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in 2018. Photo: AP
Richard Sherman said of his musical partnership with Robert in 2005: “Something good happens when we sit together and work.
“We’ve been doing this our whole lives. We’ve been working together practically since college.”
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During that interview with the Associated Press, Sherman also revealed the advice Walt Disney gave them when they were starting out.
“He once told us, at the beginning of our career, ‘don’t insult the child, don’t write anything to the child. And don’t write just for the adult.’ So we wrote for the grandfather and the four-year-olds. -old people- and everyone in between – and everyone sees it on a different level.”
Richard Sherman is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and two children, Gregory and Victoria. He is also survived by a daughter, Lynda, from a previous marriage.
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