Disney mourns composer
Lyricist of songs such as It’s a Small World and Chim Chim Cher-ee, dies
Robert B. Sherman, the composer of the Mary Poppins song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and other Disney classics, has died in London aged 86, his publicist said.
New York-born Sherman and his brother Richard worked as staff composers for Disney between 1960 and 1973, during which time they wrote more than 200 songs for 27 films and two dozen television productions.
These included Chim Chim Cher-ee, another hit from the 1964 film Mary Poppins, which won them an Oscar for best song.
They also won the Academy Award for best score for the movie.
Bob Sherman wrote the lyrics and his brother, known as Dick, composed the music, following in the footsteps of their songwriter father Al Sherman.
They were also responsible for hits such as It’s a Small World and I Wan’na Be Like You from The Jungle Book, and composed the scores for Chitty ChittyBang Bang and Charlotte’s Web among others.
Disney president and chief executive Bob Iger referred to Mr Sherman’s passing away as “the loss of an extraordinary talent”.
“One of the world’s greatest songwriters and a true Disney legend, his legacy will endure forever through the magic of his music,” Mr Iger said in a statement.
“From Mary Poppins and It’s a Small World to Winnie the Pooh and The Jungle Book, Robert, along with his brother Richard, wrote many of Disney’s most memorable and beloved songs, which continue to enchant millions of people around the world to this day.”