The Shermans earned nine Academy Award nominations (with two wins), twoGrammy Awards, four Grammy Award nominations, and 23 gold- and platinum-certified albums.
Sons ofRussian-Jewish immigrants, Robert and Richard Sherman began writing songs together in 1951 on a challenge from their father,Tin Pan Alley songwriterAl Sherman. The brothers wrote together and with different songwriting partners throughout the rest of the decade.
In 1958, Robert founded the music publishing companyMusic World Corporation, which later enjoyed a landmark relationship with Disney'sBMI-affiliated publishing arm,Wonderland Music Company. That same year, the Sherman Brothers had their firsttop-ten hit with "Tall Paul", sung byMouseketeer Judy Harriet on the Surf Records label and then covered byMouseketeerAnnette Funicello. They wrote the international hit "You're Sixteen," first recorded in 1960 byrockabilly singerJohnny Burnette, and a chart success again in 1973 forRingo Starr.[6] They also wrote the title song for Doris Day's albumBright and Shiny, recorded in 1960 and released a year later.
The success of these songs gained the attention of Walt Disney, who eventually hired the Sherman Brothers as staff songwriters forWalt 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 calledThe Horsemasters. The first song that the Sherman Brothers contributed to a Disney movie was "Medfield Fight Song" from the filmThe Absent-Minded Professor (1961).
While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote moremotion-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 the1964 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.[7]
In 1970, the Shermans returned to Disney for a brief stint where they completed work onThe Aristocats andBedknobs and Broomsticks. The latter film garnered the brothers their fourth and fifth Oscar nominations. 1972 saw the release ofSnoopy Come Home, for which the brothers received aGrammy nomination.
In 1973, the Sherman Brothers also made history by becoming the only Americans ever to win First Prize at theMoscow Film Festival forTom Sawyer, for which they also authored the screenplay.
In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for the Disney filmThe 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.
In2002,Chitty hit the London stage, receiving rave reviews.Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is currently the most successful stage show ever produced at theLondon Palladium, boasting the longest run in that century-old theater's history. On April 28, 2005, a secondChitty company premiered on Broadway (New York City) at theFoxwoods 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 (1968) topped the list at #1. In later years, with Robert's move toLondon, the brothers wrote new songs for the stage musical presentation ofChitty Chitty Bang Bang. For their contributions to the motion picture industry, the Sherman brothers have a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6918 Hollywood Blvd. and were inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame on June 9, 2005. On November 16, 2006,Mary Poppins premiered at theNew Amsterdam Theatre onBroadway.
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 titledThe Sherman Brothers Songbook. On March 11, 2010, the Sherman Brothers were presented with a specialized window onMain Street, U.S.A., atDisneyland inAnaheim, 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 fromBeverly Hills, while Richard Sherman remained in California. Robert Sherman died in London on March 6, 2012.[8] Richard Sherman died in Los Angeles on May 25, 2024.[2][9]
In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the award-winning score toThe 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 byKenny Loggins.
The Sherman Brothers' motion pictureChitty Chitty Bang Bang was adapted into aLondonWest EndMusical in 2002 and premiered at theLondon Palladium on April 16, 2002, featuring many new songs and a reworked score by both Sherman Brothers. It was nominated for a 2003Laurence 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 forChitty, 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 ofMary Poppins arrived on the stage. In 2005, Poppins was nominated for nineOlivier Awards. In 2005,Chitty went to Broadway and was nominated for nineTonys and also began its nationwide (UK) tour.
In 2007, during the 40th-anniversaryDVD rerelease ofThe Jungle Book London press junket, the Sherman Brothers were witnessed by press working on a new song forInkas (see below) in the sameBrown's Hotel room whereThe Jungle Book was originally penned byBritish writerRudyard Kipling over a hundred years earlier.[10]
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 byLincoln College on May 12, 1990. Robert's critically acclaimed autobiography,Moose: Chapters From My Life was published posthumously byAuthorHouse Publishers on November 27, 2013, in anticipation of the release of theWalt Disney Pictures filmSaving Mr. Banks. Set in 1961 and based on the stories behind the original development meetings for Disney's film version ofMary Poppins,Saving Mr. Banks features actorsB. J. Novak as Robert Sherman andJason Schwartzman as Richard Sherman.
In 2014, the Sherman Brothers, alongside their fatherAl Sherman, were the subjects of a London musical concert titledA Spoonful of Sherman written, produced, and hosted by Robert's son,Robert J. Sherman. The concert received generally very positive reviews including four stars fromThe Times. A CD produced byNick Lloyd Webber was released bySimG Records in 2015.[11]
Three songs plus underscore for the NBC-TV animated musicalGoldilocks produced in 1969 byDePatie-Freleng (ofPink Panther fame) starringBing Crosby, his wifeKathryn Grant and two youngest children Mary Frances and Nathaniel.
2000NominatedAnnie in the category of "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production" for the song "Round My Family Tree" fromThe Tigger Movie
2003 "Winsor McCay Award" for lifetime achievement and contribution to animation
^Cheesman, Neil (December 20, 2017)."First Tour Dates Announced for A Spoonful of Sherman". London Theatre 1. RetrievedDecember 22, 2017.Robert J Sherman, son of Robert B. Sherman and a successful composer in his own right brings the utterly compelling story of one family's century-long, award-winning musical journey to UK audiences in 2018.
^Carter, Roz."REVIEW: A SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN (Greenwich Theatre) ★★★★★". West End Wilma. RetrievedApril 10, 2018.The whole show is filled with whimsy, magic and some of the most memorable songs ever written; it does the Sherman family proud. I can't remember when I spent a more joyful or moving evening at the theatre.
