Richard M. Sherman passed away Saturday at the age of 95 due to age-related illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, the Walt Disney Company announced.
Sherman, a celebrated Disney musical legend and half of the Academy Award-winning Sherman Brothers songwriting duo, crafted some of the most iconic songs in film history. The Walt Disney Company confirmed his death with an official statement on its website.
Throughout his 65-year career, Sherman collected numerous honors, including nine Academy Award nominations and two Oscar wins for his work on a 1964 classic, “Mary Poppins.” Sherman also won three Grammy Awards and earned 24 gold and platinum albums, the statement noted.
Richard M. Sherman, two-time Oscar winner who collaborated with brother Robert B. Sherman on the songs for “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and the enduring Disneyland tune “It’s a Small World (After All),” has died. He was 95. https://t.co/xdmtbR9WnH pic.twitter.com/tvmEYn5Zf7
— Variety (@Variety) May 25, 2024
Sherman’s influence stretched across cinema, television, Broadway and theme parks, shaping various aspects of entertainment, the Walt Disney Company stated. The Sherman brothers notably crafted unforgettable songs like “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” which won them an Oscar for Best Original Song, and the universally beloved “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 02: Composer Richard Sherman performs onstage during the ‘American Experience: Walt Disney’ panel discussion at the PBS portion of the 2015 Summer TCA Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 2, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 17: In this handout photo provided by Disney parks, DAZZLING DAY – Academy Award-winning composer Richard Sherman and actress and singer Ashley Brown join President of the Disneyland Resort Michael Colglazier (L) and Mickey Mouse to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Disneyland park July 17, 2015 in Anaheim, California. Celebrating six decades of magic, the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration features three new nighttime spectaculars that immerse guests in the worlds of Disney stories like never before with “Paint the Night,” the first all-LED parade at the resort; “Disneyland Forever,” a reinvention of classic fireworks that adds projections to pyrotechnics to transform the park experience; and a moving new version of “World of Color” that celebrates Walt Disney’s dream for Disneyland. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images)
Their music not only captured the essence of Disney storytelling but also became synonymous with the Disney brand itself, the statement continues. Another “Mary Poppins” song, “Feed the Birds,” was famously one of Walt Disney’s favorite tunes, according to the statement.
Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, highlighted Sherman’s impact in the industry. (RELATED: Disney’s Longest-Tenured Employee Burny Mattinson Dead At 87, Company Says)
“Richard Sherman was 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,” Iger said, according to the news release. “From films like Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book to attractions like ‘it’s a small world,’ the music of the Sherman Brothers has captured the hearts of generations of audiences. We are forever grateful for the mark Richard left on the world, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
