Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar-winning songwriter who partnered with his late brother to craft tunes for such Disney classics as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Jungle Book, died Saturday (May 25) at 95.
Sherman, who also co-wrote “It’s a Small World (After All)” — considered the most performed song ever — as well as “You’re Sixteen,” a chart-topper for Ringo Starr, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of age-related illness, Disney announced.
Members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and recipients of the National Medal of Honor, Richard and his older brother, Robert Sherman, wrote an estimated 1,000 songs and music for 50 movies, and they were responsible for more movie musical songs than anyone in history.
For their work on Mary Poppins (1964), the Sherman brothers made two victorious trips to the Academy Awards stage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, accepting the trophies for best original score and best song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”).
The pair, who were hired by Walt Disney himself and worked directly with the Hollywood legend for almost a decade, also were nominated for the songs “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” from the 1968 United Artists film; “The Age of Not Believing” from Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971); “The Slipper and the Rose Waltz (He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me)” from The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976) and “When You’re Loved” from The Magic of Lassie (1978). They received three other noms for their scores.
Their movie work also included The Parent Trap (1961) — which featured “Let’s Get Together,” their inventive “duet” performed by Hayley Mills — The Sword in the Stone (1963), Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), The AristoCats (1970), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Charlotte’s Web (1973), Tom Sawyer (1973) and The Tigger Movie (2000).
In 1961, Richard and…
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