Disney Legend Richard M.Sherman, half of Academy Award winning songwriting team of Sherman Brothers, passed away Saturday May 25 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills due to age related illness.
He was 95 years old. Richard garnered nine Academy Award nominations won three Grammy Awards and get 24 gold and platinum albums over course of 65 year career.
His career start from early day of rock n roll and tv to Hollywood and Broadway.
Born on June 12, 1928 in New York City Richard and brother would years later go on to follow in their Tin Pan Alley songwriter father Al Sherman footsteps.
The Sherman family relocated to Beverly Hills in 1937 after years of cross country moves.
Richard attended Beverly Hills High School before majored in music at Bard College.
Drafted into US Army he served as conductor for Army band and glee club from 1953 to 1955.
Richard is survived by his wife for 66 years, Elizabeth, son Gregory and grandson William and Mathew daughter Victoria Wolf son in low Doug Wolf and grandchildren Anthony and Mandy.
He is survived by daughter from previous marriage, Lynda Rothsein and two children and 3 grandchildren.
Private funeral is take place Friday May 31 at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles Plans for celebration of life announced at later date.
In 1951, Gene Autry was first to record a Sherman brother song, “Gold Can Buy for Anything But Love”
The songwriters break would not come until 7 years later when Mouseketeer Annette Funicello record their song Tall Paull. Tune peaked at No 7 on charts selling over 700,000 singles.
They contributed music for various theme park attractions around the globe including “There is a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” and “its a small world” .
In 1980 the brothers returned to write sings of EPCOT Center and Tokyo Disneyland including “One Little Spark and ” Meet the World”
The success of song caught the attention of Walt who hired Sherman brothers as staff songwriters for The Walt Disney Studios.
Their first assignment write a song for made for tv movie.
The Horsemaster 1961, The Parent Trap 1961, Summer Magic 1963.
They would write over 200 songs for 27 movies and 24 tv productions.
Richard and his brother were included as Disney Legends in 1990.
In 1970s, the Sherman brothers left The Walt Disney Studio to get other movie projects.
The Sherman Brothers went on to deliver and array of music songs to films as Snoop Come Home 1972, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1973, The Slipper and the Rose 1976.
The Sherman brothers in 1973 becomes the only Americans ever to win 1st Prize at the Moscow Film Festival.
The Russian equivalent to Oscar was bestowed to Sherman Brothers for their movie musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for which they penned the songs and script.
In 2023 Walt Disney Animation Studios revisited 100 year history in short film Once Upon a Studio.
Richard come back to Walts office the same place he and Robert various time perform ” Feed the Birds” for Walt on Friday afternoon to play piano in key sequence.
In 2005 Richard and Robert were included into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Three years later the bros were awarded the National Medal of the Arts.
In 1992 Walt Disney Records released a collection of their music. The brothers returned to the studio in 1998 to compose music for the Tigger Movie that year they written their autobiography. Walts Time: From Before to Beyond.
In 2009 a second compilation of hits The Sherman Brothers Songbook was release and life stories were told in documentary film The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story in collaboration with Roberts son Jeffrey Sherman.
Recently Richard wrote a new song for Disney Legend Andreas Deja’s 2023 animated short, Mushka. The song entitled “Mushka Lullabye” was sung by soprano Holly Sedillos.
In 2010 Richard and fellow award winning composer John Debney collaborated on song “Make way for Tomorrow Today” for Marvel Studios Iron Man 2.
The Walt Disney company saluted the Sherman brothers for musical contributions to Disney Parks worldwide.
They were honored with very own window on Main street USA.
Richard was preceded in death by his brother in 2012. The following year actor Jason Schwartzman and BJ Novak portrayed Richard and Robert respectively in Saving Mr Banks 2013 a dramaize account of the making of Mary Poppins.
For The Walt Disney Studios Richard wrote new lyrics for live action The Jungle Book 2016 and 2 years later appeared ion Christopher Robin composed three new songs.
In 2015 a tv special chronicling his life Richard M Sherman Songs of Lifetime produce by Disney Legend Don Hahn debuted on PBS SoCal.
