Walt Disney Records:
Biography of the Sherman Brothers
Picture of The Sherman Brothers Songwriters Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman first got involved with Walt Disney Productions in 1958, when their song for Annette Funicello, "Tall Paul," became a smash single, selling more than 700,000 copies.

Such success is not surprising, for their musical background included great encouragement from their father, Al Sherman, composer of such songs as "No, No, a Thousand Times, No!," "Potatoes Are Cheaper," and "You Gotta Be a Football Hero."

Graduates of Bard College, New York, the Sherman brothers first collaborated musically in 1950, after Bob returned from infantry duty in Germany. Although English major Bob was intent on producing "the great American novel," and music major Dick had his sights set on "the great American musical," at their father's urging, they penned Kitty Wells's hit "Things I Might Have Been."

After the success of "Tall Paul," the Shermans formed Music World Publications, writing and publishing songs for Fabian, Doris Day, and others, as well as penning more than 35 tunes for Annette.

The Shermans' first Disney film assignment was the theme for "The Horsemasters." Walt Disney, pleased with the results, put them to work on the 1961 Hayley Mills feature, The Parent Trap. From that film came "Let's Get Together," which reached No. 5 on the national charts.

Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, the Shermans wrote hundreds of tunes for Disney motion pictures, television productions, and theme-park attractions. Honored with Academy Awards® and gold records, they have also produced songs and screenplays for non-Disney films and shows, including a successful Broadway musical.

The Sherman Brothers Disney Filmography

  • The Parent Trap (1961)
  • The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
  • Moon Pilot (1962)
  • Bon Voyage (1962)
  • Big Red (1962)
  • The Legend of Lobo (1962)
  • In Search of the Castaways (1962)
  • A Symposium on Popular Songs (1962) -- short
  • The Miracle of the White Stallions (1963)
  • Summer Magic (1963)
  • The Sword in the Stone (1963) -- animated feature
  • The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)
  • Mary Poppins (1964)
  • Those Calloways (1965)
  • The Monkey's Uncle (1965)
  • That Darn Cat (1965)
  • Follow Me, Boys! (1966)
  • Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) -- short
  • Monkeys, Go Home (1967)
  • The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
  • The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
  • The Gnome-Mobile (1967)
  • The Jungle Book (1967) -- animated feature
  • The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
  • Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968) -- short
  • The Aristocats (1970) -- animated feature
  • Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
  • Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974) -- animated feature
Academy Awards®:

  • Best Song -- "Chim Chim Cher-ee" (from Mary Poppins, 1964)
  • Best Song Score -- Mary Poppins (1964)

Nominations include:

  • Best Original Score -- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
  • Best Song -- "The Age of Not Believing" from Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1968)
  • Best Song -- "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz" from The Slipper and the Rose (1977)
  • Best Song -- "When You're Loved" from The Magic of Lassie (1979)