Richard Morton Sherman
12 min read
Reading time
2,394
Words
Published
25
Film credits
4
Awards
Richard M. Sherman, half of the Sherman Brothers songwriting duo, co-wrote It’s a Small World and won two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins in 1965. He and his brother Robert created scores for Disney films including The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Aristocats. Sherman received the National Medal of Arts in 2008 and continued working until his death in 2024 at age 95.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Richard M. Sherman — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Richard M. Sherman by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Richard M. Sherman — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
After moving to Beverly Hills at age nine, Richard Sherman studied music at Beverly Hills High School and later Bard College, where he majored in music and learned flute, piccolo, and piano. His father Al Sherman was a songwriter. He originally aimed to write the Great American Symphony but moved into songwriting with his brother Robert.
In 1958, the Sherman brothers had their first hit with Tall Paul, sung by Mouseketeer Annette Funicello, which caught Walt Disney’s attention. Hired as staff songwriters at Walt Disney Studios, they wrote It’s a Small World for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. In 1965, they won two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins, including Best Original Song for Chim Chim Cher-ee. They also scored The Jungle Book 1967, The Aristocats 1970, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968, which earned a third Oscar nomination. In 1973, they won First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer. After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, they worked freelance on films, television, and stage musicals. In 2000, they returned to Disney with The Tigger Movie, their first major Disney film in 28 years.
Richard married Ursula Elizabeth Gluck in 1957; they had three children, including Gregory V. Sherman. He was previously married to Corinne Joan Newman. He lived in Beverly Hills with his wife until his death on May 25, 2024, from natural causes at age 95.
The Sherman Brothers’ songs remain widely known, especially It’s a Small World, which plays at Disney parks worldwide. In 2003, four of their films ranked in the BBC’s Top 10 Favorite Children’s Films of All Time, with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at number one. They received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2008. In 2018, Walt Disney Studios renamed Soundstage A the Sherman Brothers Stage. Richard Sherman is remembered for music that has lasted across generations.
The complete filmography of Richard M. Sherman — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Richard M. Sherman — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Richard M. Sherman — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
We Write for Grandpa and the Four Year Old and Everyone in Between.
Little-known facts about Richard M. Sherman — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
He performed a musical duet with André Previn at his 1946 Beverly Hills High School graduation; 21 years later, both won Oscars in musical categories for different films.
Three films he co-wrote with his brother—Charlotte’s Web, Tom Sawyer, and Mary Poppins—played consecutively at New York’s Radio City Music Hall in 1973.
President George W. Bush awarded the Sherman Brothers the National Medal of the Arts in 2008 at a White House ceremony for their musical contributions.
The Sherman Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6914 Hollywood Boulevard.
On June 9, 2005, he and his brother were inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City with Bill Withers, John Fogerty, and others.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was adapted into a West End musical in 2002 at the London Palladium, becoming the longest-running show in that theatre’s history; it earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best New Musical in 2003.
He lived in Beverly Hills, California with his wife Ursula Elizabeth Gluck.
After Robert Sherman moved to London, the brothers collaborated long-distance using fax, email, and low-cost international phone calls.
On November 17, 2008, President George W. Bush presented the Sherman Brothers with the National Medal of Arts in the East Room of the White House, the highest honor for an individual artist in the United States.
The Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for Disney’s The Tigger Movie in 2000, their first major Disney film in 28 years.
The stage musical Mary Poppins at Chicago’s Paramount Theatre was nominated for a 2015 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Large Musical Production.
On July 31, 2018, Walt Disney Studios in Burbank renamed Soundstage A the Sherman Brothers Stage in their honor.
He wrote new lyrics for I Wanna Be Like You for the 2016 live-action The Jungle Book film, updating King Louie to a gigantopithecus.
The Mercury Theater Chicago production of Mary Poppins was nominated for a 2017 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Midsize Musical Production.
The Walt Disney Family Museum awarded him the Diane Disney Miller Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
The Jungle Book stage musical at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and Huntington Theatre Company earned a 2013 Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Large Musical Production.
The stage musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang debuted in London in 2002, becoming the most successful and longest-running show in London Palladium history. A Broadway production opened in 2005, for which the Shermans wrote six new songs.
He is buried in a traditional grave at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City, California. His celebration of life, titled Jolly Holiday: A D23 Musical Celebration of Robert M. Sherman, was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on August 11, 2024.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Richard M. Sherman.
Celebrities similar to Richard M. Sherman — same craft, ranked by reach.
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
