The Disney family has lost Disney Legend Richard M. Sherman, one half of the Academy Award winning Sherman Brothers songwriting duo responsible for dozens of iconic Disney tunes.
Richard was born on June 12, 1928, in New York City, but the Sherman family moved to Beverly Hills, Calif. in 1937, where Richard attended Beverly Hills High School before majoring in music at Bard College. He and his brother, the late Disney Legend Robert B. Sherman, would eventually follow in their songwriter father Al Sherman’s musical footsteps, and Disney fans around the world are certainly very happy they did.
The prolific musical team was responsible for some of the most memorable Disney music of all time, including the songs for “Mary Poppins” (1964), for which they won Oscars for Best Score – Substantially Original and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”
Another “Mary Poppins” favorite, the tongue-twisting “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965, but the film’s “Feed the Birds” holds the honor of being Walt Disney’s favorite song.
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“Richard m. Sherman was the embodiment of what it means to be a Disney Legend, creating along with his brother Robert the beloved classics that have become a cherished part of the soundtrack of our lives,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger, CEO. “From films like ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘The Jungle Book’ to attractions like ‘it’s a small world,’ the music of the Sherman Brothers has captured the hearts of generations of audiences. We are forever grateful for the mark Richard left on the world, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
Richard, Robert, and Walt
While Gene Autry was the first to record a Sherman brothers song, “Gold Can Buy You Anything But Love” in 1951, their big break was thanks to Mouseketeer (and fellow Disney Legend) Annette Funicello who recorded their song “Tall Paul,” a tune that reached No. 7 on the charts and sold more than 700,000 singles.
That success got Walt’s attention and he hired the brothers as Walt Disney Studios staff songwriters, where their first assignment was to write a song for the made-for-television movie “The Horsemasters” (1961), starring (probably not coincidentally) Funicello.
During their Disney career, they would contribute more than 200 songs for Disney films, including “The Parent Trap” (1961), “The Sword in the Stone” (1963), “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree” (1966), “The Aristocats” (1970), “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971), and many more.
Of course, theme park fans also know their music well, including “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room,” “It’s a Small World,” and “One Little Spark.” Richard also contributed the song “A Kiss Goodnight” for the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration in 2015.
In recent years, Richard wrote new lyrics for the live-action “The Jungle Book” (2016), composed three new songs for (and appeared in) “Christopher Robin,” and wrote a new song with composer Fabrizio Mancinelli for Disney Legend Andreas Deja’s animated short, “Mushka” (2023) called “Mushka’s Lullabye.”
The Sherman Brothers were honored with a window on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, which states: “Two Brothers Tunemakers – Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman: We’ll Write Your Tunes For a Song.” Their life story was told in the documentary film “The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story,” which can be streamed on Disney+.
In 2005, Richard and Robert were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Three years later, they were awarded the National Medal of the Arts, “for unforgettable songs and optimistic lyrics that have brought magic to the screen and stage [and] has helped bring joy to millions.” During the ceremony at the White House, First Lady Laura Bush noted, “These medals recognize great contributions to art, music, theater, literature, history, and general scholarship… Recipients of the National Medal of the Arts represent the breadth of American creativity and the depth of the human spirit.”
“You don’t get songs like ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ without a genuine love of life, which Richard passed on to everyone lucky enough to be around him,” said Pixar Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter. “Even in his 90s he had more energy and enthusiasm than anyone, and I always left renewed by Richard’s infectious joy for life.”