Richard M. Sherman

Together with his older brother, Robert, songwriter Richard M. Sherman was credited with penning some of the most beloved family-friendly tunes of all time, including the most played song ever, "It's a Small World (After All)." Born Richard Morton Sherman on June 12, 1928 in New York City, he was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants Rosa and Al Sherman, a successful Tin Pan Alley songwriter. The family eventually relocated to Los Angeles, where Richard later performed with future composer André Previn at his high school graduation. After completing his college studies, Sherman and his older brother, who had just returned from serving in World War II, began what would be a long and fruitful career as a songwriting team. This was interrupted, however, when the younger Sherman was drafted into the military during the Korean War in 1953. The brothers resumed the partnership upon his return and soon after wrote the song "Tall Paul," which became a hit record for Annette Funicello in 1958. Shortly thereafter, the Sherman brothers began their more than 10-year association with Walt Disney, creating memorable scores for dozens of the company's films. While their first efforts were included in such family features as "The Absent-Minded Professor" (1961) and "The Parent Trap" (1961), the brothers did not truly come into their own until "The Sword and the Stone" (1963), an animated telling of the Arthurian legend. The following year, they enjoyed their greatest success with the lively and infectious score to "Mary Poppins" (1964), for which they shared Oscars for Best Score and Best Song ("Chim Chim Cheree"). Drawing on English music hall traditions, the Shermans composed several hummable melodies, among them, the tongue-twisting classic, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."