Sherman Brothers

The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of brothers Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman . Together they received various accolades including two Academy Awards and three Grammy Awards. They received nominations for a Laurence Olivier Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. In 1976, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the National Medal of the Arts in 2008.
The Sherman Brothers wrote more motion-picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history. Their work includes the live-action films The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the animated films The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, Charlotte's Web, The Aristocats, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Among their most famous works are the theme park songs There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow and It's a Small World (After All). According to Time magazine, the latter song is the most performed song of all time.
The Shermans earned nine Academy Award nominations, two Grammy Awards, four Grammy Award nominations, and 23 gold- and platinum-certified albums.

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Life and work

1950s

Sons of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Robert and Richard Sherman began writing songs together in 1951 on a challenge from their father, Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman. The brothers wrote together and with different songwriting partners throughout the rest of the decade.
In 1958, Robert founded the music publishing company Music World Corporation, which later enjoyed a landmark relationship with Disney's BMI-affiliated publishing arm, Wonderland Music Company. That same year, the Sherman Brothers had their first top-ten hit with "Tall Paul", sung by Mouseketeer Judy Harriet on the Surf Records label and then covered by Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. They wrote the international hit "You're Sixteen," first recorded in 1960 by rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, and a chart success again in 1973 for Ringo Starr. They also wrote the title song for Doris Day's album Bright and Shiny, recorded in 1960 and released a year later.

1960s

The success of these songs gained the attention of Walt Disney, who eventually hired the Sherman Brothers as staff songwriters for Walt Disney Studios. The first song they wrote on personal assignment by Walt Disney was "Strummin' Song" in 1961. It was used in the Annette Funicello made-for-television movie called The Horsemasters. The first song that the Sherman Brothers contributed to a Disney movie was "Medfield Fight Song" from the film The Absent-Minded Professor.
While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote more motion-picture musical scores than any other songwriters in the history of film. They also wrote what is perhaps their best-known song, "It's a Small World (After All)", for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Since then, some have claimed that this has become the most translated and performed song on Earth, although this is largely due to the fact that it is played continuously at Disney's theme park "It's a Small World" attractions of the same name.
In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins, which includes the songs "Feed The Birds," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee." Starting with this movie, and continuing through several subsequent Disney movies, the Sherman Brothers collaborated with noted arranger-conductor Irwin Kostal.
Robert and Richard Sherman worked directly for Walt Disney, completing the scores for the live-action musical films The Happiest Millionaire and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band until Disney's death in 1966.
Their first non-Disney assignment came with Albert R. Broccoli's motion picture production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for United Artists in 1968, which garnered the brothers their third Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for its particularly memorable titular song.

1970s

In 1970, the Shermans returned to Disney for a brief stint where they completed work on The Aristocats and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. The latter film garnered the brothers their fourth and fifth Oscar nominations. 1972 saw the release of Snoopy Come Home, for which the brothers received a Grammy nomination.
In 1973, the Sherman Brothers also 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.
In 1976, The Slipper and the Rose was picked to be the Royal Command Performance of the year. The performance was attended by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. A modern musical adaptation of the classic Cinderella story, Slipper also featured songs, score, and screenplay by the Sherman Brothers. Two further Academy Award nominations were garnered by the brothers for the film. That same year the Sherman Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame directly across from Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
The Sherman Brothers' numerous other Disney and non-Disney top box office film credits include The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, The Parent Trap, The Parent Trap, Charlotte's Web, Huckleberry Finn, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Snoopy Come Home, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland.
Outside the motion-picture realm, their Tony Award-nominated hit Over Here! was the biggest-grossing original Broadway musical of that year and broke box-office records for its Off-Broadway revival.

2000s

In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for the Disney film The Tigger Movie. This film marked the brothers' first major motion picture for the Disney company in over 28 years, and was also their final film credit as a duo.
In 2002, Chitty hit the London stage, receiving rave reviews. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is currently the most successful stage show ever produced at the London Palladium, boasting the longest run in that century-old theater's history. On April 28, 2005, a second Chitty company premiered on Broadway at the Foxwoods Theatre. The Sherman Brothers wrote an additional six songs specifically for the new stage productions.
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. Most notably, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang topped the list at #1. In later years, with Robert's move to London, the brothers wrote new songs for the stage musical presentation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For their contributions to the motion picture industry, the Sherman brothers have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6918 Hollywood Blvd. and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 9, 2005. On November 16, 2006, Mary Poppins premiered at the Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.
On November 17, 2008, the Sherman Brothers received the National Medal of Arts, which is the highest honor conferred on artists or patrons of the arts by the United States Government. The award was presented by United States President George W. Bush in an East Room ceremony at The White House.
On May 22, 2009, The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story, a critically acclaimed documentary film about the pair, was theatrically released. The film was directed and produced by their sons, Gregory V. Sherman and Jeff Sherman, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. In October 2009, Disney released a 59-track, two-CD compendium of their work for the studio spanning 42 years. The CD is titled The Sherman Brothers Songbook. On March 11, 2010, the Sherman Brothers were presented with a specialized window on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in honor of their contribution to Disney theme parks. On May 17, 2010, the Sherman Brothers received the "Career Achievement Award" at The Theatre Museum's 2010 Awards Gala in New York City.
From 2002, Robert Sherman lived in London, England. He moved from Beverly Hills, while Richard Sherman remained in California. Robert Sherman died in London on March 6, 2012. Richard Sherman died in Los Angeles on May 25, 2024.

Influence and recognition

In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the award-winning score to The Tigger Movie which achieved number-one status in both theatrical box office and video sales. They also composed a song for the movie called "Your Heart Will Lead You Home", co-written and performed by Kenny Loggins.
The Sherman Brothers' motion picture Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was adapted into a London West End Musical in 2002 and premiered at the London Palladium on April 16, 2002, featuring many new songs and a reworked score by both Sherman Brothers. It was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical. The Sherman Brothers each received the Musical Theatre Award from the Variety Club of Great Britain that year as well for Chitty, which finished a record breaking three-and-a-half-year run at the Palladium, becoming the longest running show in the theater's century long history. In 2004, the premiere of Mary Poppins arrived on the stage. In 2005, Poppins was nominated for nine Olivier Awards. In 2005, Chitty went to Broadway and was nominated for nine Tonys and also began its nationwide tour.
On June 9, 2005, both Shermans were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, John Fogerty, Isaac Hayes, and David Porter.
On November 16, 2006, the Cameron Mackintosh/Disney production of Mary Poppins made its Broadway premiere at the New Amsterdam Theater featuring the Sherman Brothers' classic songs.
In 2007, during the 40th-anniversary DVD rerelease of The Jungle Book London press junket, the Sherman Brothers were witnessed by press working on a new song for Inkas in the same Brown's Hotel room where The Jungle Book was originally penned by British writer Rudyard Kipling over a hundred years earlier.
In February 2008, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang began a second UK tour. In 2008 and 2009, Poppins premiered in numerous cities throughout the world including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Budapest, Toronto, Shanghai, Sydney, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Helsinki. Full UK and US tours of Poppins also commenced in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively.
On May 21, 2011, the Sherman Brothers were each awarded honorary doctorate degrees in Fine Arts from their alma mater, Bard College. This was Robert's second honorary doctorate. His first was granted by Lincoln College on May 12, 1990. Robert's critically acclaimed autobiography, Moose: Chapters From My Life was published posthumously by AuthorHouse Publishers on November 27, 2013, in anticipation of the release of the Walt Disney Pictures film Saving Mr. Banks. Set in 1961 and based on the stories behind the original development meetings for Disney's film version of Mary Poppins, Saving Mr. Banks features actors B. J. Novak as Robert Sherman and Jason Schwartzman as Richard Sherman.
In 2014, the Sherman Brothers, alongside their father Al Sherman, were the subjects of a London musical concert titled A Spoonful of Sherman written, produced, and hosted by Robert's son, Robert J. Sherman. The concert received generally very positive reviews including four stars from The Times. A CD produced by Nick Lloyd Webber was released by SimG Records in 2015.
In 2017 A Spoonful of Sherman was revived, playing at the venue, "Live At Zédel" in London.
On July 31, 2018, the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California renamed Soundstage A the Sherman Brothers Stage.
In 2018, the first A Spoonful of Sherman UK/Ireland Tour began with previews on February 14, 2018, at the EM Forester Theatre in Tonbridge, Kent. The tour played in 28 cities in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. Cast members for the tour included Sophie-Louise Dann, Mark Read, Glen Facey, Jenna Innes and Ben Stock.

Filmography

Film

The Absent-Minded Professor, 1961 – "Medfield Fight Song" onlyThe Parent Trap, 1961A Symposium on Popular Songs, 1962 – animated shortMoon Pilot, 1962Bon Voyage!, 1962Big Red, 1962The Legend of Lobo, 1962In Search of the Castaways, 1962Miracle of the White Stallions, 1963Summer Magic, 1963The Sword in the Stone, 1963The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, 1964Mary Poppins, 1964Those Calloways, 1965The Monkey's Uncle, 1965That Darn Cat!, 1965Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, 1966 – animated shortFollow Me, Boys!, 1966Monkeys, Go Home!, 1967The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, 1967The Gnome-Mobile, 1967The Jungle Book, 1967 The Happiest Millionaire, 1967The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, 1968Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, 1968 – animated shortThe Aristocats, 1970Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971Snoopy Come Home, 1972Charlotte's Web, 1973Tom Sawyer, 1973Huckleberry Finn, 1974Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, 1974 – animated shortThe Slipper and the Rose, 1976The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, 1977The Magic of Lassie, 1978Magic Journeys, 1982 - theme park attractionWelcome to Pooh Corner, 1983 – television seriesWinnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, 1983 - animated shortLittle Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, 1992The Mighty Kong, 1998The Parent Trap, 1998Seasons of Giving, 1999 – direct-to-video filmThe Tigger Movie, 2000The Jungle Book 2, 2003 – music references from the original 1967 filmWinnie the Pooh, 2011 – theme song and "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" rendition onlySaving Mr. Banks, 2013 – songs from the original 1964 Mary Poppins filmTomorrowland, 2015 – music referencesThe Jungle Book, 2016Christopher Robin, 2018Mary Poppins Returns, 2018 – music references from the original 1964 filmInkas the Ramferinkas, 2023 –.

Television

Episodes from the Walt Disney anthology television series

Auld Acquaintance
The Ballad of Hector the Stowaway Dog
The Big Swindle
A Boy Called Nuthin
Bristle Face
Carnival Time
A Case of Murder
The Daily Press vs. City Hall
Escapade in Florence
Gallegher
Greta, the Misfit Greyhound
Holiday Time at Disneyland
The Horse Without a Head
The Horsemasters
Johnny Shiloh
Mediterranean Cruise
Mooncussers
The Postponed Wedding
A Rag, A Bone, A Box of Junk
Spy in the Sky
The Tenderfoot
The Young Loner

Film Screenplays'A Symposium on Popular Songs, 1962 Mary Poppins, 1964 Tom Sawyer, 1973 Huckleberry Finn, 1974 The Slipper and the Rose, 1976 The Magic of Lassie, 1978 / Ferdinand the Bull, 1986

Theatre

Victory Canteen, 1971 Over Here!, 1974 Dawgs, 1983 Busker Alley, 1995 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2002 Mary Poppins, 2004 On the Record 2004-5 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 Busker Alley, 2006 Mary Poppins, 2006 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2007 Mary Poppins, 2008 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2008 Mary Poppins, 2008 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2009 Mary Poppins, 2012–13 A Spoonful of Sherman, 2014 A Spoonful of Sherman, 2017 A Spoonful of Sherman, 2018 A Spoonful of Sherman, 2019 Over Here!, 2019 Mary Poppins, 2019– Bedknobs And Broomsticks (musical), 2021–

Theme park songs

Adventure Thru Inner Space
* "Miracles from Molecules"
America on Parade
* "The Glorious Fourth"
CommuniCore
* "The Astuter Computer Revue"
Epcot Center Opening & Dedication
* "The World Showcase March"Pepsi Presents Walt Disney's "It's a Small World" – a Salute to UNICEF and the World's Children for the 1964 New York World's Fair
* "It's a Small World (After All)" was then adapted for each Disney park's "It's a Small World" attraction installation.
Journey Into Imagination
* "One Little Spark"
Magic Journeys
* "Magic Journeys"
* "Makin' Memories"
Meet the World in Tokyo Disneyland
* "Meet the World"
* "We Meet the World with Love"
Rocket Rods
* "Magic Highways"
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
* "The Best Time of Your Life"
* "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
* "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room"
Disneyland Forever
* "Live the Magic"
* "A Kiss Goodnight"

Other

Three songs plus underscore for the NBC-TV animated musical Goldilocks produced in 1969 by DePatie-Freleng starring Bing Crosby, his wife Kathryn Grant and two youngest children Mary Frances and Nathaniel.
"The Spectrum Song" – for Walt Disney's The Wonderful World of Color. Sung by Paul Frees as Ludwig Von Drake.
Three unfinished film scores for a musical adaptation of James Thurber's novel The 13 Clocks, another of Roman Holiday, and one for Jack Kinney titled Sir Puss in Boots.
Richard Sherman wrote the "theme park" song "Make Way For Tomorrow Today" for the movie Iron Man 2.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

1964 Won Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins
1964 Won Academy Award in the category of "Best Substantially Original Score" for Mary Poppins
1968 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1971 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "The Age of Not Believing" from Bedknobs & Broomsticks
1971 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score" for Bedknobs & Broomsticks
1973 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Scoring Original Song Score And/Or Adaptation" for Tom Sawyer
1977 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz" from The Slipper and the Rose
1977 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Scoring Original Song Score And/Or Adaptation" for The Slipper and the Rose
1978 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "When You're Loved" from ''The Magic of Lassie''

Annie Awards

2000 Nominated Annie in the category of "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production" for the song "Round My Family Tree" from The Tigger Movie
2003 "Winsor McCay Award" for lifetime achievement and contribution to animation

BAFTA Awards

1977 Nominated "Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music" for ''The Slipper and the Rose''

BMI

1977 "Pioneer Award" awarded in Los Angeles, California.
1991 "Lifetime Achievement Award" awarded at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Christopher Award

1964 "Christopher Award" for "Best Original Song Score" for Mary Poppins
1973 "Christopher Award" for "Best Original Song Score" for ''Tom Sawyer''

Disney

1985 "Mousecar" awarded at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California in front of 20 thousand people.
1990 "Disney Legends" awarded at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
2010 Main Street, U.S. Window presented at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in honor of the Sherman Brothers' contribution to Disney theme parks.

Golden Globes

1965 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Mary Poppins
1969 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1969 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Song" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1974 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Tom Sawyer
1977 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for ''The Slipper and the Rose''

Golden Videocassette Award

1984 Best Selling Video Cassette for ''Mary Poppins''

Grammy Awards

1965 Won Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Motion Picture or Television Show" for Mary Poppins
1965 Won Grammy in the category of "Best Recording for Children" for Mary Poppins
1966 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Recording for Children" for Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
1968 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Recording for Children" for The Jungle Book
1970 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Recording for Children" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1971 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Recording for Children" for The Aristocats
1973 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Children's Show" for Snoopy Come Home
1974 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Musical Show" for Over Here!
1975 Won Grammy in the category of "Best Recording for Children" for ''Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too''

Laurel Awards

1965 Won "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Best Song" "Chim Chim Cher-ee" for Mary Poppins
1965 2nd Place "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Music Men"
1966 3rd place "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Best Song" "That Darn Cat!" for ''That Darn Cat!''

Moscow Film Festival

1973 First Place Award in the category of "Best Music" for ''Tom Sawyer''

National Medal of Arts

2008 National Medal of Arts awarded to Richard and Robert Sherman on November 17, 2008, at the White House by President George W. Bush. This is the highest honor the United States Government bestows on artists.

Olivier Awards

2002 Nominated "Best Musical" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Songwriters Hall of Fame

2005 induction at the Marriott Hotel on Times Square in New York City.

Theatre Museum Award

2010 Career Achievement Award presented on May 17, 2010, at The Players Club in New York City.

Variety Club Awards

2003 Won "Best Musical" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Walk of Fame

1976 A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded to "Richard & Robert Sherman" on November 17, 1976, located at 6914 Hollywood Blvd.