Richard M. Sherman

Richard M. Sherman

Sherman at the 2002 Annie Awards receiving the Winsor McCay award.
Background information
Birth name Richard Morton Sherman
Born June 12, 1928[1]
Origin New York City, New York, United States
Genres Musical film, musical theatre, animation
Occupation(s) Composer, lyricist, screenwriter, publisher, music director
Years active 1950s–present
Website www.shermanmusic.com

Richard Morton Sherman (born June 12, 1928) is an American songwriter and music director who specialized in musical film with his brother Robert Bernard Sherman.

Some of the Sherman Brothers' best-known writing includes the songs from Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose, and the Disney theme park song "It's a Small World (After All)".

Early life

Richard Morton Sherman was born in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrants, Rosa (Dancis) and Al Sherman.[2] Together with his older brother Robert, "The Sherman Brothers" eventually followed in their songwriting father's footsteps to form a long-lasting songwriting partnership.

Following seven years of frequent cross-country moves, the Sherman family finally settled down in Beverly Hills, California in 1937. During Richard's years at Beverly Hills High School, he became fascinated with music and studied several instruments, including the flute, piccolo, and piano.

At his 1946 graduation from Beverly Hills High School, Sherman and classmate André Previn played a musical duet with Previn on piano and Sherman on flute. Coincidentally, in 1965 both composers won Oscars in music categories for different films.

Army service and education

In 1953 Sherman was drafted into United States Army, being assigned to the Army Band and glee club. Serving as musical conductor for both groups from 1953 until his honorable discharge in 1955, he was stationed solely in the United States during his time in the service. During this time, his brother Robert worked with other songwriters.

As a student at Bard College, Sherman majored in music, writing numerous sonatas and "art songs". His ambition to write the "great american symphony" eventually led him to write songs. Within two years of graduating, Sherman and his brother began writing songs together, answering a challenge from their father.

Career

(Left to right) Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman and Walt Disney sing "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"

In 1958 the Sherman Brothers had their first Top Ten hit with "Tall Paul", sung by Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. The success of this song got the attention of Walt Disney, who eventually hired the Sherman brothers as staff songwriters for Walt Disney Studios.

While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote what may be their most successful song: "It's a Small World (After All)" for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Their first song for Disney was "Medfield Fight Song" from the 1961 film "The Absent Minded Professor".

In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for the film Mary Poppins (1964), which includes the songs "Feed The Birds," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and the Oscar winner, "Chim Chim Cher-ee." After Mary Poppins, the Sherman Brothers won nine Academy Award nominations, two Grammy Awards, four Grammy Award nominations and 23 gold and platinum albums.

The Shermans worked directly for Walt Disney until Disney's death in 1966. Since leaving the company, the brother songwriting team has worked freelance on scores of motion pictures, television shows, theme park exhibits and stage musicals.

Their first non-Disney assignment came with Albert R. Broccoli's motion picture production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968, which garnered the brothers their third Academy Award Nomination. In 1973, the Sherman Brothers made history by becoming the only Americans ever to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer, for which they also wrote the screenplay.

The Slipper and the Rose was chosen as the Royal Command Performance of 1976 and was attended by Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. A modern musical adaptation of the classic Cinderella story, "Slipper" also features both song-score and screenplay by the Sherman Brothers. That same year the Sherman Brothers received their star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" directly across from Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Their numerous other Disney and non-Disney top box office film credits include The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), The Parent Trap (1961), The Parent Trap (1998), Charlotte's Web (1973), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971), and Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland (1992).

Outside the motion picture realm, their Tony-nominated play, Over Here! (1974) was the highest-grossing original Broadway musical of that year. The Sherman Brothers have also written numerous top-selling songs, including "You're Sixteen," which holds the distinction of reaching Billboard's Top Ten twice, first with Johnny Burnette in 1960 and then with Ringo Starr fourteen years later. Other top-ten hits include "Pineapple Princess" and "Let's Get Together."

In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for Disney's film The Tigger Movie, marking the brothers' first work for a Disney major motion picture in over twenty eight years. In 2002, a stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, featuring six new songs from the Sherman Brothers, premiered at the London Palladium. It is currently the longest-running in that theater's history. In 2005, the musical premiered on Broadway at the Hilton Theatre.

In 2003, four Sherman Brothers' musicals ranked in the "Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of All Time" in a nationwide poll, according to the BBC. The Jungle Book (1967)_ranked at #7, Mary Poppins (1964) ranked at #8, The Aristocats (1970) ranked at #9 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) topped the list at #1.

A new Disney and Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins: The Stage Musical made its world premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre in December 2004, featuring the Sherman Brothers' songs. The show went on to successful runs in New York and Los Angeles.

Personal life

Two years after his Army discharge, Sherman married Elizabeth Gluck in 1957. Together, they had two children, Gregory and Victoria. Sherman has a second daughter, Lynda (Sherman) Rothstein, from a previous marriage.

Following Robert Sherman's relocation from Beverly Hills to London, England, the brothers continued to collaborate musically. They credited the ability to do so long-distance to technology via fax, e-mail, and the low cost international telephone service. Both brothers frequently traveled between Los Angeles, New York, and London working together on various musical plays[3] until Robert's death in 2012.

Achievements, honors, tributes

The Sherman Brothers receive the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor bestowed upon artists from the United States Government. (left to right Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman and U.S. President George W. Bush at The White House on November 17, 2008

List of works

Major film scores

Motion picture screenplays

Stage musicals

The London Palladium in 2004

Theme park songs

Professional awards

Academy Awards

Annie Awards

BAFTA Awards

BMI

Christopher Award

Disney

Golden Globes

Golden Videocassette Award

Grammy Awards

Laurel Awards

Moscow Film Festival

National Medal of Arts

Olivier Awards

Songwriters Hall of Fame

Theatre Museum Award

Variety Club Awards

Walk of Fame

References

  1. "Today in history". ABC News. Associated Press. June 12, 2014.
  2. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8XN-HX1
  3. "Sherman Brothers Working on New Musical Merry-Go-Round". Playbill.com. 2005-08-29. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  4. "D23.com | The Official Disney Fan Club". D23.disney.go.com. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  5. "Press". The Theatre Museum. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  6. IMDB.com
  7. Garreau, Joel."Stan Lee, Olivia de Havilland Win Medal of Arts Honors",Washington Post, November 17, 2008

Bibliography

External links