Richard M. Sherman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard M. Sherman
Sherman in 2014
Born	Richard Morton Sherman (1928-06-12)June 12, 1928 New York City, U.S.
Died	May 25, 2024(2024-05-25) (aged 95) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Bard College
Occupation	Composer, lyricist, screenwriter, publisher, music director
Years active	1950–2024
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Gluck ​ (m. 1957)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Al Sherman Rosa (Dancis) Sherman
Relatives	Robert B. Sherman (brother) Robert J. Sherman (nephew)
Musical career
Genres	Musical film, musical theatre, animation music

Richard Morton Sherman (born June 12, 1928 – died May 25, 2024) was an American songwriter. He was famous for creating music for movies, especially with his brother, Robert B. Sherman. Together, they were known as the Sherman Brothers.

The Walt Disney Company says that the Sherman Brothers wrote more songs for movie musicals than any other team in history. Some of their most famous songs are from films like Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They also wrote music for Winnie the Pooh movies and Charlotte's Web.

Their most well-known song is "It's a Small World". They wrote it for the famous theme park ride. Time magazine once said it might be the most performed song in public ever!

Early Life and Music

Richard Morton Sherman was born in New York City. His parents, Rosa and Al Sherman, were immigrants. Richard and his older brother Robert followed their father's path. Their dad, Al, was also a successful songwriter.

The Sherman family moved a lot for seven years. In 1937, they finally settled in Beverly Hills, California. While at Beverly Hills High School, Richard became very interested in music. He learned to play several instruments, including the flute, piccolo, and piano.

At his high school graduation in 1946, Richard played a flute duet. His classmate, André Previn, played the piano. Years later, both would win Academy Awards for music in the same year, 1964. Richard and Robert won for their music in Mary Poppins. They also won for the song "Chim Chim Cher-ee".

Army Service and College

In 1953, Richard Sherman joined the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the Army Band and glee club. He was a musical conductor for these groups from 1953 until 1955. During his time in the service, he stayed in the United States. His brother Robert worked with other songwriters during this period.

Richard studied music at Bard College. He wrote many sonatas and "art songs" there. He originally wanted to write a "great American symphony." But his love for music eventually led him to write popular songs.

Amazing Career in Music

Just two years after college, Richard and his brother Robert started writing songs together. Their father, Al Sherman, challenged them to do it. Al was a famous songwriter from the "Tin Pan Alley" era.

In 1958, Robert Sherman started a music publishing company called Music World Corporation. This company later worked with Disney's music publishing group. That same year, the Sherman Brothers had their first big hit song, "Tall Paul." It was sung by Annette Funicello.

The success of "Tall Paul" caught the attention of Walt Disney. He hired the Sherman Brothers as songwriters for Walt Disney Studios. While working for Disney, they wrote "It's a Small World (After All)". This song was for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins. They won for Best Original Score, which included songs like "Feed The Birds" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". They also won for Best Original Song, "Chim Chim Cher-ee".

Richard and Robert Sherman worked directly for Walt Disney until he passed away in 1966. After that, they worked as freelance songwriters. They created music for many movies, TV shows, theme park attractions, and stage musicals.

Their first project outside of Disney was the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968. This film earned them their third Academy Award nomination. In 1973, the Sherman Brothers made history. They were the only Americans to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer. They also wrote the movie's story.

The Slipper and the Rose was chosen for the Royal Command Performance in 1976. Queen Elizabeth attended this special event. This movie was a musical version of the Cinderella story. The Sherman Brothers wrote both the songs and the movie's story. That same year, they received their star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame".

They wrote music for many other popular films. These include The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), Charlotte's Web (1973), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).

Outside of movies, their musical Over Here! (1974) was a big hit on Broadway. The Sherman Brothers also wrote many top-selling songs. One example is "You're Sixteen," which was a Top Ten hit twice. It was popular with Johnny Burnette in 1960 and again with Ringo Starr 14 years later.

In 2000, the brothers wrote songs for Disney's movie The Tigger Movie. This was their first major Disney movie in over 28 years.

Robert (left) and Richard in 2002

In 2002, the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened in London. It was very successful and ran for a long time at the London Palladium. In 2005, a version of Chitty also opened on Broadway in New York City. The Sherman Brothers wrote six new songs just for these stage shows.

In 2003, a British poll named four Sherman Brothers' musicals among the "Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of All Time." The Jungle Book was #7, Mary Poppins was #8, The Aristocats was #9, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was #1.

A new stage musical, Mary Poppins: The Stage Musical, opened in London in 2004. It featured the classic songs by the Sherman Brothers.

In June 2005, Richard M. Sherman was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame along with his brother. The Chitty musical continued to tour, and Mary Poppins opened on Broadway in 2006.

More recently, Richard Sherman worked with Disney on three live-action films. He rewrote the song "I Wan'na Be Like You" for the 2016 movie The Jungle Book. He also wrote three new songs for the 2018 film Christopher Robin. Richard Sherman also helped as a music consultant for Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to Mary Poppins. He will also write new songs for a stage version of The Jungle Book.

In May 2023, it was announced that a movie based on the Sherman Brothers' musical Inkas the Ramferinkas was being developed.

Personal Life

In the late 1940s, while at Bard College, Richard was briefly married to Corrine Newman. They had one child, Lynda. In 1957, Richard married Ursula Elizabeth Gluck. They had two children, Gregory and Victoria. Richard Sherman had six grandchildren.

After his brother Robert moved to London, England, they continued to work on music together. They used technology like fax, email, and international phone calls to collaborate. Both brothers often traveled between Los Angeles, New York, and London to work on musicals. They continued this until Robert passed away in 2012.

Richard and Elizabeth were married for over 67 years. They lived in Beverly Hills, California. Richard Sherman passed away in Los Angeles on May 25, 2024, at the age of 95.

Awards and Honors

The Sherman Brothers receiving the National Medal of Arts from U.S. President George W. Bush in 2008.

• In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the music for The Tigger Movie. This movie was very popular in theaters and video sales.
• The musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened in London in 2002. It had many new songs by the Sherman Brothers. It was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical. The brothers also won the "Musical Theatre Award" from the Variety Club of Great Britain for Chitty. The show ran for a record-breaking three and a half years at the London Palladium.
• In 2004, the musical Mary Poppins premiered on stage. In 2005, Poppins was nominated for nine Olivier Awards.
• On June 9, 2005, Richard Sherman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with his brother, Robert B. Sherman.
• On November 16, 2006, the Broadway production of Mary Poppins opened in New York City. It featured the Sherman Brothers' classic songs.
• In February 2008, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang began a second tour in the UK. In 2008 and 2009, Poppins opened in many cities around the world, including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Toronto, and Sydney.
• On November 17, 2008, Robert and Richard Sherman received the National Medal of Arts at the White House. President George W. Bush presented this award. It is the highest honor the United States Government gives to artists.
• In May 2009, a documentary called The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story was released. In October 2009, Disney released a two-CD collection of their work for the studio. It was called "The Sherman Brothers Songbook."
• On March 11, 2010, the Sherman Brothers were honored with a special Window on Mainstreet at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This was for their contributions to Disney theme parks.
• On May 21, 2011, the Sherman Brothers received honorary doctorate degrees in Fine Arts from their college, Bard College.
• In 2014, the Sherman Brothers and their father, Al Sherman, were featured in a London musical concert. It was called A Spoonful of Sherman. Richard's nephew, Robert J. Sherman, wrote and hosted the show.
• In 2015, Richard Sherman received the Diane Disney Miller Lifetime Achievement Award from The Walt Disney Family Museum.
• In 2018, the first A Spoonful of Sherman UK/Ireland Tour began. It played in 28 cities across England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.
• On July 31, 2018, Soundstage A at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, was renamed the Sherman Brothers Stage.
• In 2021/22, a stage version of Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks toured the UK and Ireland.

List of Works

Major Film Scores

Motion Picture Screenplays

• A Symposium on Popular Songs, 1962
• Mary Poppins, 1964 (story idea only)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1973
• The Slipper and the Rose, 1976

Stage Musicals

The London Palladium in 2004

Prince Edward Theatre in 2005

New Amsterdam Theatre in 2007

• Over Here!, 1974 (Broadway, NY)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2002 (London)
• Mary Poppins, 2004 (London)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 (Broadway, NY)
• Mary Poppins, 2006 (Broadway, NY)
• A Spoonful of Sherman, 2014 (London)
• Mary Poppins, 2019 (London)
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 2021 (UK Tour)

Theme Park Songs

• There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Carousel of Progress
• One Little Spark for Journey into Imagination
• it's a small world (after all) for the 1964 New York World's Fair attraction, then for the "It's a Small World" ride at Disney Parks.
• The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
• Kiss Goodnight exit music from Disneyland Forever for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary show.

Professional Awards

Award	Year	Film	Category	Result
Academy Awards	1964	Mary Poppins	Best Original Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Won
			Best Music Score-Substantially Original (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Won
	1968	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	Best Original Song for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Nominated
	1971	Bedknobs and Broomsticks	Best Original Song for "The Age of Not Believing" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Nominated
			Best Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score	Nominated
	1973	Tom Sawyer	Best Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score	Nominated
	1977	The Slipper and the Rose	Best Original Song for "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz (He/She Danced with Me)" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Nominated
			Best Original Song Score & Its Adaptation Or Best Adaptation Score	Nominated
	1978	The Magic of Lassie	Best Original Song for "When You're Loved" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Nominated
Annie Awards	2000	The Tigger Movie	Music in an Animated Feature Production" for "Round My Family Tree" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Nominated
	2003	Winsor McCay Award	"for lifetime achievement and contribution to animation"	Honored
BAFTA Awards	1977	The Slipper and the Rose	Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music	Nominated
BMI Film & TV Awards	1977	Pioneer Award	Honored
	1991	Lifetime Achievement Award		Honored
Golden Globe Awards	1964	Mary Poppins	Best Original Score	Nominated
	1968	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang		Nominated
			Best Original Song for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	Nominated
	1973	Tom Sawyer	Best Original Score	Nominated
	1977	The Slipper and the Rose		Nominated
Grammy Awards	1964	Mary Poppins	Best Original Score for a Motion Picture or Television Show	Won
			Best Recording for Children	Won
	1966	Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree		Nominated
	1967	The Jungle Book		Nominated
	1968	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang		Nominated
	1970	The Aristocats		Nominated
	1973	Snoopy Come Home	Best Original Score for a Children's Show	Nominated
	1975	Over Here!	Best Original Score for a Musical Show	Nominated
		Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!	Best Recording for Children	Won
Hollywood Music in Media Awards	2023	Mushka	Original Song-Short Film	Won
Laurel Awards	1964	Mary Poppins	Best Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" (shared with Robert B. Sherman)	1st Place
		Music Men Award		2nd Place
	1973	Tom Sawyer	Best Original Score	3rd Place
Laurence Olivier Awards	2002	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	Best New Musical	Nominated
Moscow Film Festival	1973	Tom Sawyer	Best Music	Won
Variety Club Awards	2003	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	Best Musical	Won

Sherman in 2003 at the Annie Award

• 1984: Golden Videocassette Award for Best Selling Video Cassette (of all time) for Mary Poppins.
• 1976: A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded to "Richard & Robert Sherman" on November 17, 1976.
• 1985: "Mousecar" awarded at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California.
• 1990: "Disney Legends" awarded at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
• 2005: Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City.
• 2008: National Medal of Arts awarded to Richard and Robert Sherman on November 17, 2008, at the White House. This is the highest honor the United States Government gives to artists.
• 2010: Main Street, U.S.A. Window presented at Disneyland in Anaheim, California for their work on Disney theme parks.
• 2010: Theatre Museum Career Achievement Award presented on May 17, 2010.