Disney Songwriting Legend Richard M. Sherman Passes Away

Remembering Richard M. Sherman, the melodic heart of Disney.

Disney Legend Richard M. Sherman, half of the Academy Award-winning songwriting team the Sherman Brothers, passed away on Saturday, May 25, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills due to age-related illness. He was 95. Sherman and his late brother Robert B. Sherman were among the most prolific composer-lyricists in family entertainment history. He garnered nine Academy Award nominations, winning two for his work on the 1964 classic Mary Poppins. Over his 65-year career, he won three GRAMMY Awards and received 24 gold and platinum albums.

The Sherman brothers’ songs have been a gateway to the enchanting world of Disney for generations of fans. Their timeless melodies, best exemplified by their work on Mary Poppins, have become part of our cultural fabric. The film, for which they won Oscars for Best Score—Substantially Original and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” also gave us other beloved tunes like “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Feed the Birds,” the latter being a personal favorite of Walt Disney himself.

Born on June 12, 1928, in New York City, Richard M. Sherman was destined for a life in music. He and his brother Robert followed in the footsteps of their father, Al Sherman, a renowned Tin Pan Alley songwriter. The family moved to Beverly Hills in 1937, where Richard attended Beverly Hills High School and later majored in music at Bard College. His musical journey was briefly interrupted when he served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955, conducting the Army band and glee club.

The Sherman brothers’ first big break came in 1958.

That is when Mouseketeer Annette Funicello recorded their song “Tall Paul.” This success caught Walt Disney’s attention, leading to their first assignment for The Walt Disney Studios in 1961. Over the next decade, they wrote music for numerous Disney films and theme park attractions. The brothers left Disney in the early 1970s but continued creating memorable music for family films such as Chitty Bang Bang and Charlotte’s Web. They were inducted as Disney Legends in 1990 and into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.

Richard is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elizabeth; son Gregory and grandsons William and Matthew; daughter Victoria Wolf, son-in-law Doug Wolf, and grandchildren Mandy and Anthony; and daughter from a previous marriage, Lynda Rothstein, along with her children and grandchildren. Plans for a celebration of life will be announced later.

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