Richard Sherman-the composer behind the score of Disney's Mary Poppins-died of age-related illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on May 25. He was 95.
Born in 1928, Sherman came from a family of musicians. His father, Al, was an important Tin Pan Alley composer, whose works include the hit, Lindbergh (The Eagle of the USA). Following in their father's footsteps, Richard and his older brother Robert formed the Sherman Brothers tandem which composed some of Disney's most lasting tunes. One of their most famous works is the score for the 1964 film, Mary Poppins, which earned them two Oscars in 1964.
The song, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, then entered the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. The Sherman Brothers wrote more than 200 songs for more than 50 films and television productions, including The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Their first non-Disney assignment was 1968's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which earned the brothers their third Academy Award Nomination.
Their most-frequently heard work is It's a Small World (After All), written for the eponymous Disneyland ride in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The Sherman Brothers received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 1976. Richard was then inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. He continued to compose after his brother's death in 2012, and well into his old age: Sherman re-wrote the song I Wanna Be Like You for the 2016 remake of The Jungle Book directed by Jon Favreau, and worked as a music consultant for the Mary Poppins sequel, Mary Poppins Returns.
Over his 65-year career, Sherman garnered nine Academy Award nominations, and three GRAMMY® Awards. Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger remembered Sherman as "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."
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and his children and grandchildren.
