•
•
114- A Robert Sherman, Tribute.
March 7th 2012
By Troy Cory - Josie
Cory
•
•On
Monday, March 5th, 2012 Robert Sherman, died at the
London Clinic of an age-related illness, his family
said. He was
86. •
TVI-VRA TelePlay Pictures CEO, Troy Cory said,
"-- "the Sherman Brothers
were not only Walt Disney's songwriters of choice,
but they were mine also.
•
••
They had their "golden
moments" when everything turned just right, as Dick
Sherman said during his brother's funeral service.
•
••
Their music for "Mary
Poppins" included the jaunty "A Spoonful of Sugar"
and the somber "Feed the Birds" --They were the men
that introduced me into the world of music
publishing and as a song writer of my own
recordings with Cinema Prize, Bingo, Mercury, and
Highland Records.
•
•
Along with Bob Roberts,
Ralph Freed, Tip Tobin and Dorothy Swafford, we
wrote "Rinky Rou RAW," "There's No Fool Like a
Young Fool," "Torture," "Tall Paul," "Little Pink
Toe," and many others in 1959, and the early 60s.
We sometimes used the names Sherwood, Roberts,
Sharon & Silbert, and Tip Tobin for
ASCAP and BMI
purposes.
•
•
For Disneyland attractions, the brothers
wrote such instantly familiar tunes as "It's a
Small World" and "The Tiki Tiki Tiki
Room."
•
•
The Los Angeles Times Front Page Article
dated, March 7th 2012, -- reported that "My brother
Bob was a poetic soul with limitless imagination
and talent," Richard Sherman said in the article
for the LA Times. "He was my loyal friend all
through the years."
•
•
"A piece of our childhood has been taken
away," film music historian Jon Burlingame said.
"They wrote some of the most resonant songs of our
childhood, and that doesn't apply only to those of
us who grew up in the 1960s but also to those born
ever since."
•
•
Their career milestone came with "Mary
Poppins," the tale of an English nanny and her
unruly charges starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van
Dyke.
•
•
The Shermans already had done work for the
Disney Studio, including writing the 1959 hit "Tall
Paul" for Annette Funicello, when Disney handed
them a small book by British author P.L. Travers in
1960.
•
•
He told them to read it and tell him what
they thought.Robert Sherman, died"We said it would
make the greatest musical fantasy of all time,"
Richard Sherman recalled in a 1993 joint Houston
Chronicle interview with his brother.
•
•
"Of course, that book was 'Mary Poppins.' So
we underlined some chapters that we felt were
really musical. And when we showed Walt our notes
and played the song sketches, he pulled out his
book, and he'd underlined the very same
chapters.
•
•
"Robert Sherman, diedIt was, Robert said,
"one of the greatest feelings we've ever
had."Robert Sherman, diedRobert Sherman, died
•
•
Van Dyke recalled that the Sherman brothers
were "deeply involved" throughout the filming of
"Mary Poppins."
•
•
"They were always on the set helping Julie
and I with our interpretation of the songs," he
told The Times on Tuesday. "They had a lot to do
with the atmosphere, the
lightness."
•
•
The two brothers, Van Dyke said, "were
opposite ends of the pole as far as their
personalities were concerned. Robert was the somber
one. He kept within himself. Dick was gregarious
and outgoing and loves to
perform.
•
•
"As songwriters, they were a perfect
combination. The emotion was Robert and the fun was
Dick's part. They were made by God for Walt Disney.
They somehow managed to convey Walt's meaning in
those songs."
•
•
Explaining their approach to songwriting in
a 1969 interview with The Times, Robert Sherman
said: "We don't like the dark side of things, and
we want only to entertain people. We like singable
songs as opposed to, say, performers' songs. We
don't write for someone, we write for
everyone."
•
•
Disney, who died in 1966, was especially
fond of "Feed the Birds," which he predicted would
replace Brahms' Lullaby and which reportedly caused
him to cry every time he heard
it.
•
•
When the brothers walked into Disney's
studio office the day after the ceremony, with
their Oscars in hand, the film legend gave them a
characteristically restrained
response.
•
•
As Robert Sherman recalled in a 1992 Times
interview, Disney told them: "The bases were
loaded, we hit a home run and that's great. From
now on, just try to get on
base."
•
•
Robert Sherman's son Jeff said the brothers
"walked in on a cloud" and Disney, who had a warm
relationship with them, was just trying to keep
them humble.
•
•
"I'm sure he smiled as they left," Jeff
Sherman said Tuesday.
•
•
The Sherman brothers contributed songs and
scores to many other Disney films, including "The
Parent Trap," "That Darn Cat!," "Winnie the Pooh
and the Honey Tree," "The Gnome-Mobile," "The
Jungle Book," "The Aristocats" and "Bedknobs and
Broomsticks."
•
•
They also wrote "It's a Small World (After
All") for an attraction at the 1964 New York
World's Fair, a tune heard repeatedly at Disney
theme parks.
•
•
Among the other films they later provided
music and songs for are "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,"
"Snoopy Come Home," "Charlotte's Web," "The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "Huckleberry Finn" and
"The Slipper and the
Rose."
•
•
In addition to their two Oscar wins, the
Sherman brothers received seven other Academy Award
nominations and won three Grammy Awards. They also
received 24 gold and platinum albums and were
inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame &emdash;
as well as receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame.
•
•
"The Sherman brothers' legacy goes far
beyond the craft of songwriting," multiple
Oscar-winning composer-songwriter Alan Menken said
in a statement. "There is magic in their songs and
in the films and musicals they breathed life
into."
•
•
In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded
the Sherman brothers the National Medal of Arts for
creating music that "has helped bring joy to
millions."
•
•
The son of Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al
Sherman, ("You Go To Be A football Hero"). Robert
was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 19, 1925; his brother
Richard was born June 12, 1928. The family moved to
Beverly Hills in the early '30s when the senior
Sherman got a job writing songs for the
movies.
•
•
Robert Sherman served in the Army during
World War II. He was one of the first American
soldiers to enter the Dachau concentration camp and
later had his kneecap shattered by a Nazi bullet.
He recovered in hospitals in England, where he
moved in 2002 after the death of his wife,
Joyce.
•
•
After the brothers teamed up, their first
song to be recorded was "Gold Can Buy You Anything
But Love" for Gene Autry in 1951. They later wrote
Johnny Burnette's 1960 hit "You're
Sixteen."
•
•
As for how they divided writing the words
and the music for their songs, the brothers'
standard reply was, "He writes the words and the
music, and I write the music and the
words."
•
•
Jeff Sherman said, "Richard was primarily
the composer and Robert was primarily the lyricist,
but they both did both."
•
•
Despite their long and close working
relationship, the Sherman brothers didn't socialize
for a couple of decades.
•
•
"Bob and I have great love and respect for
one another, and during our professional lives we
maintained a facade of unity," Richard Sherman told
the Toronto Star in 2009 when the documentary "The
Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story" was
released.
•
•
"But in order to keep working together we
came to an agreement to live our personal lives
apart, completely separate," he said. "We were
comfortable working together, but otherwise it
would have been
explosive."
•
•
The documentary came about after Robert's
son, Jeff, and Richard's son, Greg, connected at
the 2002 London opening of the stage version of
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." The cousins said they
hoped the film would make the public more aware of
the professional contributions of the Sherman
brothers and start a personal dialogue between
their fathers.
•
•
"So many personal details are hidden in
their songs," Greg Sherman said in the Toronto
Star. "And for such different personalities, they
really had a lot in common: It's impossible to tell
who wrote the music and who wrote the
lyrics.
•
•
"We are different people," Richard Sherman
said in the 2009 article. "In the broadest terms,
Bob is an introvert who wanted to write great
novels, and I was the showman. I loved to perform
and he'd rather sit in a corner reading a
book."
•
•
But, he said: "Success and creativity won
out over petty differences. There was no way we
were going to let those differences destroy our
work."
•
•
Besides his brother, Sherman is survived by
his four children, Jeff, Robert, Laurie and Tracy;
and five grandchildren.
•
•
A public funeral service will be held at 1
p.m. Friday at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary
in Los Angeles. A LA Times Report.
///
•
•
Robert B. Sherman (Nickname Moose) was born
December 19, just before Christmas in 1925 in New
York City. Parents, Rosa & Al Sherman didn't
know how they would pay the doctor and delivery
costs. Fortunately upon their arrival home from the
hospital, Al discovered a large royalty check in
the mail. Ironically it was Al's song, "Save Your
Sorrow" which saved the day and covered the bill.
In 1928, younger brother Richard was born. Years
later brothers Robert and Richard would form one of
the most prolific, lauded and long lasting
songwriting partnerships of all
time.
•
•
As a youth, Robert excelled in intellectual
pursuits, taking up the violin and piano, painting
and writing poetry. Following seven years of
frequent cross-country moves, the Shermans finally
settled down in Beverly Hills, California.
Throughout Robert's years at Beverly Hills High
School, he wrote and produced radio and stage
programs for which he won much acclaim. At sixteen
years old, Robert wrote a stage play entitled,
ARMISTICE AND DEDICATION DAY which earned thousands
of dollars worth in War Bonds and garnered Sherman
a special citation from the War
Department.
•
•
In 1943 Robert obtained permission from his
parents to join the army a year early, at only age
17. In early April, 1945 he inadvertently led half
a squad of men into Dachau Concentration Camp, the
first Allied troops to enter the camp after it had
been evacuated by the fleeing German military only
hours earlier. On April 12, 1945, the day President
Roosevelt died, Robert was shot in the knee forcing
him to walk with a cane ever
since.
•
•
During his recuperation in Taunton and
Bournemouth England, Robert was awarded the Purple
Heart medal. While still rehabilitating, Robert
first became curious about British culture, reading
voraciously anything he could find on the subject.
Once on his feet, Robert met and became friends
with many Brits, attaining first hand knowledge of
the United Kingdom, her customs and people. His
fascination with England would later prove an
invaluable resource to his songwriting career; many
of his most well known works centering around
Anglo-themed stories and subject
matter.
•
•
Upon his return to the United States, Robert
attended Bard College in upstate New York where he
majored in English Literature and Painting. At Bard
Robert completed his first two novels entitled, THE
BEST ESTATE and MUSIC, CANDY AND PAINTED EGGS. He
graduated in the class of
1949.
•
•
Within two years Robert and brother Richard
began writing songs together on a challenge from
their father. In 1953 Robert married the love of
his life, Joyce Sasner, which helped to neutralize
what had become Robert's wildly bohemian lifestyle
in the years following the war. In 1958 Robert
founded the music publishing company, Music World
Corporation, which later enjoyed a landmark
relationship with Disney's BMI publishing arm,
Wonderland Music Company. That same year, the
Sherman Brothers had their first "Top Ten" hit with
"Tall Paul", sung by Mouscateer, Annette Funicello.
The success of this song yielded the attention of
Walt Disney who eventually hired the Sherman
Brothers on as Staff Songwriters for Walt Disney
Studios.
•
•
While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote
what is perhaps their most well loved song: it's a
small world (after all) for the New York World's
Fair in 1964. Since then, "Small World" has become
the most translated and performed song on
earth.
•
•
In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won 2 Academy
Awards for Mary Poppins (1964), which includes the
songs "Feed The Birds",
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and the Oscar
winner, "Chim Chim Cher-ee". SinceMary Poppins
(1964)motion picture premiere, the Sherman Brothers
have subsequently earned 9 Academy Award
nominations, 2 Grammy Awards, 4 Grammy Award
nominations and an incredible 23 gold and platinum
albums.
•
•
Robert and Richard 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 (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
(1973/I) for which they also authored the
screenplay.
•
•
The Slipper and the Rose (1976), was picked
to be the Royal Command Performance of the year 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 the 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 of the motion picture realm, their
Tony nominated smash hit, OVER HERE! (1974) was the
biggest 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 #1 spot twice; first with Johnny
Burnette in 1960 and then with Ringo Starr fourteen
years later. Other top-ten hits include, "Pineapple
Princess", "Let's Get Together" and
more.
•
•
In 2000 the Sherman Brothers wrote the song
score for Disney's blockbuster film: The Tigger
Movie (2000) . This film marked the brothers' first
major motion picture for the Disney company in over
twenty eight years.
•
•
In 2002, Chitty hit the London stage and
received rave revues. CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG: THE
STAGE MUSICAL is currently the most successful
stage show ever produced at the London Palladium
boasting the longest run in that century old
theatre's history. In Spring 2005 a second CHITTY
company premiered on Broadway (New York City) at
the Hilton Theatre. The Sherman Brothers wrote an
additional six songs specifically for the new stage
productions.
•
•
In April 2002, an exhibition of Robert's
paintings was held in London, England at Thompsons'
Gallery on Marylebone High Street. This marked the
first public exhibition of Robert's paintings ever
which is amazing considering Robert had been
painting since 1941. The London Exhibition was
widely covered by TV, radio and printed press.
Robert subsequently enjoyed a succession of
successful art exhibitions in the United States
with the sale of many Limited Edition giclée
prints of his work.
•
•
In 2002, Sherman moved from Beverly Hills to
London, England where he continues to write and
paint.
•
•
In 2003 four Sherman Brothers' musicals
ranked in the "Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of
All Time" in a (British) nationwide poll reported
by 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 Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary
Poppins: The Stage Musical made its world premier
at the Prince Edward Theatre in December 2004 and
features the Sherman Brothers classic songs. This
show is expected to premiere on Broadway in
2006.
•
•
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
on June 9, 2005 in New York City alongside his
brother, Richard M.
Sherman
•
•
Also in June 2005, a tribute was paid to
Robert B. Sherman at the Théâtre de
Vevey in Switzerland by the Ballet Romand. Chitty
will be commencing its full UK tour in December
2005.
•
•Spouse:
Joyce Ruth (Sasner) Sherman - (Married 27 September
1953 - 16 October 2001) (her death); 4
children.
•
•
In 2005 Robert Sherman completed a candid
and unconventional autobiographical novel entitled
Moose. He continues to reside in London,
England.
Part
3. Editor's Note /
According To IDMb
data base for ROBERT
B. SHERMAN, Composer - filmography -
The
pop song written in the 1960s and 1970 with Bob
Roberts/Troy Cory Record Sessions are mentioned in
Editor's
Byline.
•
•
(2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s) (1960s)
(1950s)
•
•
1. Bewitched (2005) (song
"'Bout
Time")
•
•
2. War of the Worlds (2005)
(song "Hushabye Mountain" from film "Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang") (as Richard
Sherman)
•
•
3. Disneyland: The First 50
Magical Years (2005)
(uncredited)
•
•
4. Pooh's Heffalump Movie
(2005) (song "Winnie the
Pooh")
•
•
5. Around the World in 80
Days (2004) (song "It's A Small
World")
•
•
6. Piglet's Big Movie (2003)
(song "Winnie the
Pooh")
•
•
7. Kingdom Hearts (2002)
(VG) (song "Winnie the Pooh") (uncredited) -- aka
Kingudamu hâtsu
(Japan)
•
•
8. The Tigger Movie (2000)
(songs) -- aka Tigger: The
Movie
•
•
9. Winnie the Pooh: Seasons
of Giving (1999) (V) (songs) -- aka Disney's Winnie
the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (USA: complete
title)
•
•
10. Michelle Kwan Skates to
Disney's Greatest Hits (1999) (TV)
(songs)
•
•
11. The Mighty Kong (1998)
(V)
(songs)
•
•
12. My Interactive Pooh
(1998) (VG) (songs)
Robert
Sherman Filmography as: Composer,
Miscellaneous Crew,
Writer, Actor, Producer, Himself
Miscellaneous Crew - filmography •
•(1980s) (1970s)
(1960s) •
•
1. Winnie the Pooh and a Day
for Eeyore (1983) (lyricist)
-- aka A Day for Eeyore
(USA: short
title)
•
•
2. The Many Adventures of
Winnie the Pooh (1977)
(lyricist)
•
•
3. Snoopy Come Home (1972)
(lyricist)
•
•
4. Bedknobs and Broomsticks
(1971) (lyricist) --
aka Bedknobs and
Broomsticks: 25th Anniversary Special Edition (USA:
longer
version)
•
•
5. A Boy Called Nuthin'
(1967) (TV)
(lyricist)
•
•
6. Mary Poppins (1964)
(lyricist)
•
•
During a recent interview with Pete Allman
of Celebrity Scene, Troy explained his early song
writing days in Hollywood, and how he first met hit
song writers/record producers, Bob Roberts, and Bob
and Dick Sherman, of Disney Studio fame.
• •
"At that time", says
Troy, "I was a recording artist with Art Rupe's
Specialty Records, and collaborating with my comedy
team partner, song writer, Tip Tobin, Sonny Bono,
and Dorothy Swafford in the production of my next
record album."
• •
" . . . The day I met
Bob Roberts was at a recording studio on Sunset
Boulevard, Hollywood, I was working with Sonny and
my arranger, trying to perfect a singing style with
my voice that would go along with the rock-a-billy
band, Sonny had hired to back me up. '
• •" . . .
Cancelling the record
session, we walked across the street to meet the
two Bob's, Bob Roberts and Bob Sherman at the
Sherman Publishing office, located on the 2nd or
3rd floor of the Sunset and Gower Building. "The
rest is history" said Troy, "Bob and Dick Sherman
explains as to what happen after that in their
book, "Walt's Time" . . . -- FULL
STORY CONTINUES ON PETE ALMAN'S CELEBRITY SCENE
with Troy Cory.
We
Preserve The Moment Yes90 tviNews S90
• A Robert
Sherman, Tribute. March 7th 2012 By Troy
Cory - Josie
Cory
•
107
- Photo Images665 The Disney Oscar Winner.
Robert Sherman. 1965 Academy Awards for
Best Music Score, and Best Song for "Mary
Poppins"
•
/
Television
International Magazine's Person Of The
Week POWeek •
432005
- /
NEWS
Convergence - 43rd Week of 2005
/
Feature
Story 4. Bylines / Troy Cory - Pete Allman
Interview
•
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