Film Music Reporter

Richard M. Sherman passed away today at age 95 in at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California, due to age-related illness. Together with his brother Robert B. Sherman, the composer/lyricist wrote numerous songs for film and television and received two Academy Awards for the score and original song Chim Chim Cher-ee  from Disney’s 1964 classic Mary Poppins. He received seven additional Academy Award nominations for the 1968 musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Disney’s 1971 feature Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1973’s film adaptation of Tom Sawyer, the 1976 musical The Slipper and the Rose & 1978’s The Magic of Lassie, as well three Grammy Awards and 24 gold and platinum albums over the course of his 65 year career. The Sherman Brothers also contributed music theme park attractions including There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room, and It’s a Small World. Sherman is is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elizabeth, son Gregory and grandsons William and Matthew; daughter Victoria Wolf, son-in-law Doug Wolf, and grandchildren Mandy and Anthony. News of Sherman’s passing was announced by the Walt Disney Company.