Here is the biography of Robert B. Sherman:
Robert B. Sherman was born on December 19, 1925, in New York City. His parents, Rosa and Al Sherman, were struggling to make ends meet, but fate intervened when Al received a large royalty check for his song "Save Your Sorrow." This unexpected windfall helped cover the costs of Robert's birth.
In 1928, Robert's younger brother, Richard M. Sherman, was born. The brothers would go on to form one of the most successful and enduring songwriting partnerships in history.
As a youth, Robert excelled in intellectual pursuits, taking up the violin, piano, painting, and writing poetry. After moving frequently across the country, the Sherman family finally settled in Beverly Hills, California. Robert attended Beverly Hills High School, where he wrote and produced radio and stage programs, earning him much acclaim. At 16, he wrote a stage play, "Armistice and Dedication Day," which earned thousands of dollars in War Bonds and a special citation from the War Department.
In 1943, Robert joined the army at 17, despite his parents' initial objections. He was shot in the knee during the war and was awarded the Purple Heart medal. During his recuperation in England, Robert developed a fascination with British culture, which would later influence his songwriting.
After the war, Robert attended Bard College in New York, where he majored in English Literature and Painting. He completed his first two novels and graduated in 1949.
In the early 1950s, Robert and Richard began writing songs together. They had their first Top Ten hit with "Tall Paul" in 1958 and eventually signed with Walt Disney as staff songwriters. They wrote the iconic "It's a Small World (After All)" for the New York World's Fair in 1964, which has since become the most translated and performed song in the world.
The Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for their work on "Mary Poppins" (1964),which included the songs "Feed the Birds," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and the Oscar winner, "Chim Chim Cher-ee." They went on to earn nine Academy Award nominations, two Grammy Awards, four Grammy Award nominations, and 23 gold and platinum albums.
After leaving Disney, the Sherman Brothers worked freelance on numerous projects, including films, television shows, theme park exhibits, and stage musicals. They made history by becoming the only Americans to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for "Tom Sawyer" (1973).
The Sherman Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976 and wrote the song score for Disney's "The Tigger Movie" (2000). They also wrote additional songs for the stage productions of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," which premiered on Broadway in 2005.
In 2002, Robert exhibited his paintings in London, which marked the first public exhibition of his work. He continued to write and paint, moving to London in 2002.
In 2003, four Sherman Brothers' musicals ranked in the top 10 favorite children's films of all time in a British nationwide poll. In 2005, the Sherman Brothers were inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
Robert B. Sherman passed away on March 6, 2012, at the age of 86. His autobiography, "Moose: Chapters From My Life," was posthumously released in 2013.
