Richard and his brother Robert were chosen as Disney Legends in 1990.
Disney songwriting legend Richard M. Sherman, best known for the songs “Mary Poppins” and “It’s a Small World,” among many other songs, has died at age 95, the Walt Disney Company announced. Announced Saturday.
Sherman died Saturday of an age-related illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, the company said.
Richard, one half of the Oscar-winning duo with his late brother Robert P. Sherman, is remembered as a “prolific composer and lyricist” and “a key member of Walt Disney’s inner circle of creative talent,” the company said in a statement. press release.
“Richard Sherman was the embodiment of what it meant to be a Disney Legend, as he and his brother Robert created beloved classics that have become a treasured part of the soundtrack of our lives,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
“We are forever grateful for the mark Richard left on the world, and offer our deepest condolences to his family,” Iger added.
The Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for their take on the 1964 classic “Mary Poppins” – Best Original Score: Substantially Original and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”
“You can’t have songs like Spoonful of Sugar without a genuine love of life, which Richard passed on to everyone lucky enough to be around him,” Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, said in the statement. . “Even in his 90s, he had more energy and enthusiasm than anyone else, and I always left renewed by Richard’s infectious joy for life.”
The brothers were inducted as Disney Legends in 1990.
Richard’s 65-year career was marked by nine Academy Award nominations, three Grammy Awards, and 24 gold and platinum albums.
Visitors to Disney theme parks around the world know Sherman for his cherished songs “It’s a Small World,” “There’s a Big Beautiful Tomorrow” and “Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room.”
The Sherman Brothers’ discography has also featured in many beloved films including “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968), “Snoopy Come Home” (1972), “Charlotte’s Web” (1973), and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1973). . “Huckleberry Finn” (1974) and “The Slipper and the Rose” (1976).
“The Sherman Brothers were professional optimists and found the perfect patron in Walt Disney. “Their songs had an optimistic outlook that extended to Richard’s life, which was not without its problems and challenges,” Leonard Maltin, a film historian, author and educator, said in the statement. “He was especially proud that he and his brother practiced… A career in songwriting like their father encouraged them early.”
Robert B. Sherman died at the age of 85 in March 2012.
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