Disney songwriting legend, Robert Sherman, has died at the age of 86.
In more recent times, from around the late 80s/early 90s onwards, it’s been relatively clear who has written the music for Disney films. The late Howard Ashman and Alan Menken picked up deserved Oscars for instance, while Elton John’s bank balance was harmed not a jot by the soundtrack to The Lion King.
But go back to the days of Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Sword In The Stone and The Aristocats, and things weren’t quite the same. Those were just some of the films to benefit from the musical genius of Robert and Richard Sherman, two brothers who went on to become two of the greatest songwriters of their generation.
Songs from the Sherman Brothers? Try Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Trust In Me, It’s A Small World (to this day, apparently the only Disney song never to be copyrighted), The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Throw in their uncredited work on the likes of I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book, and a whole host of non-Disney music, and you’ve got the kind of life’s work that the vast majority of us would envy.
And it’s with that we must bring you the sad news: Robert Sherman has died at the age of 86.
He died in London, peacefully. The news was broken by his son over Facebook, where he wrote that “He went peacefully after months of truly valiantly fending off death. He loved life and his dear heart finally slowed to a stop when he could fight no more.”.
Robert Sherman picked up nine Oscar nominations in his life, winning for his work on Mary Poppins. But his legacy is strong than that. He leaves behind a whole host of music that will be enjoyed and repeated for many, many decades to come.
Rest in peace, sir.