Robert Sherman

Robert Sherman was Disney songwriter part of a team with brother Richard responsible for numerous film scores and children's songs. 

He composed the popular tune featured in Disney theme parks, "It's a Small World (After All)," as well as the score to "Mary Poppins," featuring songs such as "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Chim Chim Cher-ee," and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

Born in New York City in 1925, Sherman was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. His father, Al Sherman, found employment as a songwriter on Tin Pan Alley, Manhattan's famous street of music publishers, and later challenged his boys to take up music in their own right.

Along with his brother, he was responsible for music in many well-loved children's films, including "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "Charlotte's Web," "The Aristocats," "Snoopy Come Home," "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," and "The Jungle Book."

He won an Oscar and Grammy award for his work with Mary Poppins, and more recently revived his work for the West End stage, adding new songs to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for a 2002 musical. Mary Poppins followed on as a musical in 2004.

Sherman also had top 10 hits on the Billboard chart with "You're Sixteen," performed by Johnny Burnette and later reaching number one with a cover by Ringo Starr in 1974. Other top tens include "Let's Get Together," sung by Hayley Mills in "The Parent Trap" and "Pineapple Princess" featuring Disney Mousketeer Annette Funicello.

The Sherman Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008, they received the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor conferred upon artists by the United States government.

In a post on his facebook profile, his son Jeffrey said that his father "wanted to bring happiness to the world and, unquestionably, he succeeded."

Within two years, Sherman and his brother Richard began writing songs together on a challenge from their father, Al Sherman, a successful popular songwriter in the "Tin Pan Alley" days ("No! No! A Thousand Times No!!", "You Gotta Be a Football Hero"). In 1953, Robert married Joyce Sasner, which moderated what had become his bohemian lifestyle in the years following the war. His first child, Laurie, was born in 1955, followed by Jeffrey in 1957, Andrea in 1960 and later, Robert in 1968.

In 1958, Sherman founded the music publishing company, Music World Corporation, which later worked with Disney's BMI publishing arm,Wonderland Music Company. That same year, the Sherman Brothers had their first Top Ten hit with "Tall Paul", which was sung by Annette Funicello. The success of this song yielded the attention of Walt Disney who eventually hired the Sherman Brothers as Staff Songwriters for Walt Disney Studios. While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote what is perhaps their most recognized song: "it's a small world (after all)" for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won 2 Academy Awards for Mary Poppins, including "Feed The Birds", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", and the Oscar winner, "Chim Chim Cher-ee". Since Mary Poppins' premiere, Robert B. Sherman subsequently earned 9 Academy Award nominations, 2 Grammy Awards, 4 Grammy Award nominations and 23 gold and platinum albums.

Robert and Richard Sherman worked directly for Walt Disney until Disney's death in 1966. After leaving the company, the brothers worked freelance as songwriters on scores of motion pictures, television shows, theme park exhibits and stage musicals.

Their first non-Disney assignment came with Albert R. Broccoli's motion picture production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968 which garnered the brothers their third Academy Award Nomination. In 1973, the Sherman Brothers made history by becoming the only Americans ever to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer for which they also authored the screenplay.

The Slipper and the Rose was picked to be the Royal Command Performance of the year and was attended by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. A modern musical adaptation of the classic Cinderella story, Slipper also features both song-score and screenplay by the Sherman Brothers. That same year the Sherman Brothers received their star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" directly across from Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Their numerous other Disney and Non-Disney top box office film credits include The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), The Parent Trap (1961), The Parent Trap (1998), Charlotte's Web(1973), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland (1992).

Outside the motion picture realm, their Tony nominated, Over Here! (1974) was the biggest-grossing original Broadway Musical of that year. The Sherman Brothers have also written numerous top selling songs including "You're Sixteen", which holds the distinction of reaching Billboard's #1 spot twice; first with Johnny Burnette in 1960 and then with Ringo Starr fourteen years later. Other top-ten hits include, "Pineapple Princess", "Let's Get Together" and more.

In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for Disney's blockbuster film: The Tigger Movie (2000). This film marked the brothers' first major motion picture for the Disney company in over twenty eight years.

Original London cast - "Janes and Michaels". Left to right (Front): Poppy Lee Friar, Jack Montgomery, Perry Millward,Harry Stott, Ben Watton, Jake Catterall, Nicola Bowman. Left to right (BACK): Charlotte Spencer, Faye Spittlehouse, Carrie Fletcher, Robert B. Sherman. (Photo Date: 19 July 2004)

In 2002 the stage musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang premiered in London. It is currently the most successful stage show ever produced at the London Palladium, boasting the longest run in that century-old theatre's history. In early 2005 a second Chitty company premiered on Broadway (New York City) at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre). The Sherman Brothers wrote an additional six songs specifically for the new stage productions.

In 2002, Sherman moved from Beverly Hills to London, England where he continued to write and paint. In 2003, four Sherman Brothers' musicals ranked in the "Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of All Time" in a (British) nationwide poll reported by the BBC. The Jungle Book(1967)_ranked at #7, Mary Poppins (1964) ranked at #8, The Aristocats (1970) ranked at #9 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) topped the list at #1.

A new Disney and Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins: The Stage Musical made its world premier at the Prince Edward Theatre in December 2004 and features the Sherman Brothers classic songs.

In June 2005, Robert B. Sherman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with his brother. Also in June 2005, a tribute was paid to Robert B. Sherman at the Théâtre de Vevey in Vevey, Switzerland by the Ballet Romand. Chitty opened on Broadway in 2005 and commenced its first full UK tour in December 2005 with subsequent tours and/or tour dates in each year since. Poppins opened on Broadway in 2006.

In 2008, Robert Sherman completed an autobiographical novel entitled Moose while Poppins embarked on a UK tour as well as a world tour beginning in Göteborg, Sweden. Chitty embarked on a 29 city, U.S. tour, which went through 2009.

Robert Sherman was also a metal sculptor, poet, and short story author.

Sherman married Joyce Ruth Sasner on September 27, 1953. Joyce and Robert Sherman have four children: Laurie Shane, Jeffrey Craig, Andrea Tracy and Robert Jason. Dr. Laurie Sherman is married to Dr. John Evans and they have six children including Joshua Abraham, Sarah Aurora, Amelia Elizabeth, Jason, Chelsea and Cassidy. Robert Sherman welcomed his first great grandchild with Laurie and John, born 2/13/2012, Henry Xavier Evans to Jason and Julie Evans. Jeff Sherman is married to Wendy Liebman and they have two children; Alex and Ryan. Joyce Sasner Sherman died on October 16, 2001.

Robert B. Sherman died in London on March 5, 2012. His son Jeff posted a statement on Facebook announcing his fathers passing. Jeff said, "He went peacefully after months of truly valiantly fending off death. He loved life and his dear heart finally slowed to a stop when he could fight no more."

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Wikipedia, Reuters