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NEW YORK -- Richard M. Sherman, 1 fractional of the prolific, award-winning brace of brothers who helped signifier millions of childhoods by penning the instantly memorable songs for "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" - arsenic good arsenic the most-played tune connected Earth, "It's a Small World (After All)" - has died. He was 95.
Sherman, unneurotic with his precocious member Robert, won 2 Academy Awards for Walt Disney's 1964 smash "Mary Poppins" - champion people and champion song, "Chim Chim Cher-ee." They besides picked up a Grammy for champion movie oregon TV score. Robert Sherman died successful London astatine property 86 successful 2012.
The Walt Disney Co. announced that Sherman died Saturday successful a Los Angeles infirmary owed to age-related illness. "Generations of moviegoers and taxable parkland guests person been introduced to the satellite of Disney done the Sherman brothers' magnificent and timeless songs. Even today, the duo's enactment remains the quintessential lyrical dependable of Walt Disney," the institution said successful a remembrance posted connected its website.
Their hundreds of credits arsenic associated lyricist and composer besides see the films "Winnie the Pooh," "The Slipper and the Rose," "Snoopy Come Home," "Charlotte's Web" and "The Magic of Lassie." Their Broadway musicals included 1974's "Over Here!" and stagings of "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" successful the mid-2000s.
"Something bully happens erstwhile we beryllium down unneurotic and work," Richard Sherman told The Associated Press successful a 2005 associated interview. "We've been doing it each our lives. Practically since assemblage we've been moving together."
Their awards see 23 golden and platinum albums and a prima connected the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They became the lone Americans ever to triumph archetypal prize astatine the Moscow Film Festival for "Tom Sawyer" successful 1973 and were inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame successful 2005.
President George W. Bush awarded them the National Medal of Arts successful 2008, commended for euphony that "has helped bring joyousness to millions."
Most of the songs the Shermans wrote - successful summation to being catchy and playful - enactment connected aggregate levels for antithetic ages, thing they learned from Disney.
"He erstwhile told us, aboriginal connected successful our career, 'Don't insult the kid - don't constitute down to the kid. And don't constitute conscionable for the adult.' So we constitute for grandpa and the 4-year-old - and everyone successful betwixt - and each spot it connected a antithetic level," Richard Sherman said.
The Shermans began a decade-long concern with Disney during the 1960s aft having written deed popular songs similar "Tall Paul" for ex-Mouseketeer Annette Funicello and "You're Sixteen," aboriginal recorded by Ringo Starr.
They wrote implicit 150 songs astatine Disney, including the soundtracks for specified films arsenic "The Sword and the Stone," "The Parent Trap," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "The Jungle Book," "The Aristocrats" and "The Tigger Movie."
"It's a Small World" - which accompanies visitors to Disney taxable parks' vessel thrust sung by animatronic dolls representing satellite cultures - is believed to beryllium the astir performed creation successful the world. It was archetypal debuted astatine the 1964-65 New York World's Fair pavilion ride.
The 2 brothers credited their father, composer Al Sherman, with challenging them to constitute songs and for their emotion of wordsmithing. His bequest of songs includes "You Gotta Be a Football Hero," "(What Do We Do On a) Dew-Dew-Dewy Day" and "On the Beach astatine Bali-Bali." His sons went connected to popularize the presumption "fantasmagorical" and "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
The Shermans teased songs retired of each other, brainstorming titles and past trying to apical each different with improvements. "Being brothers, we benignant of short-cut each other," Richard Sherman said. "We tin astir look astatine each different and know, 'Hey, you're onto something, kiddo.'"
Away from the piano, the 2 raised families and pursued their ain interests, yet inactive lived adjacent to each different successful Beverly Hills and continued moving good into their 70s. When "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" came to Broadway successful 2005, they added caller lyrics and 4 caller songs.
Richard Sherman is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their 2 children: Gregory and Victoria. He besides is survived by a daughter, Lynda, from a erstwhile marriage.
A backstage ceremonial volition beryllium held connected Friday; Disney said a solemnisation of beingness work volition beryllium announced later.
Though they were estranged for a fig of years, the brothers mostly avoided sibling rivalry. When asked astir that, Richard Sherman was philosophical, touching and jokey each astatine the aforesaid clip - overmuch similar the trunkful of songs helium wrote with his brother.
"We're human. We person frailties and weaknesses. But we emotion each different precise much, respect each other," helium said. "I'm blessed that he's a palmy guy. That makes maine a palmy guy."
The Walt Disney Company is the genitor institution of this station.
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