Richard M. Sherman, renowned as a Disney Legend who together with his brother Robert (who passed away in 2012 at age 85) were prolific songwriters for Disney and other Hollywood studios, passed away on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills. Richard Sherman was 95 years old and died due to an age-related illness.
The Sherman Brothers were the creative minds behind the music and lyrics for numerous iconic Disney theme park attractions starting in the 1960s. Wikipedia lists the following theme park songs that the Shermans wrote:
- There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Carousel of Progress
- The Best Time of Your Life for Carousel of Progress
- Miracles from Molecules for Adventure Thru Inner Space
- One Little Spark for Journey into Imagination
- Magic Journeys for Magic Journeys
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
- it’s a small world (after all) for the 1964 New York World’s Fair attraction, Pepsi Presents WALT
DISNEY’S “it’s a small world” – a Salute to UNICEF and the World’s Children, then adapted to each Disney Park installation of “It’s a Small World” - The Astuter Computer Revue for the 1982 premiere of the CommuniCore Exhibit at EPCOT.
- Magic Highways for Rocket Rods
- Making Memories for Magic Journeys
- The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
- We Meet the World with Love and Meet the World for the same exhibit in Tokyo Disneyland
- Kiss Goodnight exit music from Disneyland Forever for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Nighttime
Fireworks Spectacular show, originally sung by Ashley Brown.
Film credits include Disney works such as Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Disney named the Sherman Brothers as Disney Legends in 1990, recognizing their significant contributions to the Disney legacy.
The documentary “The Boys – The Sherman Brothers’ Story” was released in 2009 and is available on Disney Plus.
In 2010, Disney honored the Sherman brothers for their extensive musical impact on Disney Parks worldwide with a dedicated window on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. The inscription celebrated their role as “Two Brothers Tunemakers – Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman: We’ll Write Your Tunes For a Song.”
Sad to learn that Disney Legend and songwriter Richard Sherman has passed away?