Robert Sherman

By Ken Hall

Anyone who's heard the song "It's a Small World After All" (and who hasn't?) is familiar with the work of Robert Sherman who, along with his brother Richard, make up one of the most prolific and lauded songwriting teams in history. "Small World" is only the most translated and performed song on the planet.

Robert and Richard Sherman (they go by Bob and Dick) have written some of the best-loved and most recognizable songs -- most of it family-oriented music -- ever penned. Their credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Disney's Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh and Jungle Book.

A book could be written on just their songwriting credits and resulting acclaim. The brothers' career spans fifty years and includes two Academy Awards, 23 gold and platinum albums and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Born in the 1920's, they are still active songwriters today.

Both of the Shermans excelled at various intellectual pursuits when they were younger. The sons of Al Sherman -- himself a Tin Pan Alley songwriter -- they dove head-first into music, writing, literature and poetry. It was Robert, though, who was drawn to painting.

"I first put brush to canvas in 1941 and took it up again after returning from the war," Sherman said from his home in London, England, where he is involved in a stage musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (it's doing so well a second company will premier it on Broadway in 2005).

Sherman resumed painting while studying art and literature at Bard College in New York City. He discovered that his creativity flowed smoothly between painting and music. "For me, there's a strong link between these two processes," he said. "I like to think of my songs as word pictures."

His experiences in World War II helped shape his outlook on life and his attitude toward painting. Only 17 when he joined the Army, Sherman was at Omaha Beach during the early waves of the attack. He was the first American soldier at the liberation of Dachau prison camp. And he was shot in the knee and seriously wounded on April 12, 1945 -- the day FDR died -- and has walked with a cane ever since.

"I saw and experienced some terrible, tragic things during my years of service," Sherman said. "I've seen enough ugliness for a lifetime, so I forever turned away from it. I decided to embrace the beautiful things in life. My desire to create beauty -- whether it be through painting, sculpture, stories or songs -- became my primary motivation."

He's been painting steadily since the '40s but, remarkably, only had his first exhibition in 2002, at Thompson's Gallery in London. It was a smash success and was covered by TV, radio and the print media. A succession of art exhibitions in the United States followed, and Sherman's work is now available for sale as limited-edition giclee prints.

Often, his paintings directly relate to his life and work. "Sacrifice," for example (shown), was inspired by the sacrifices Sherman made during the war. "Carousel in the Country" (shown) sprang from his musical contributions to Mary Poppins.

"I relate the up-and-down ride of the carousel horse to the journey of life," Sherman said. "Sometimes it can be difficult to make it through the brush, but we go on."

Sherman once said, "As I sit in my studio, I often recall the words that someone very wise once said: 'It takes two people to make a painting -- the artist, and the person with the gun to shoot him before he overdoes it.' I'm proud to say that some of my paintings hang in prominent art collections, and no one has had to shoot me yet!"

Robert B. Sherman was born just before Christmas in 1925, in New York City. His parents were broke at the time and didn't know how they were even going to pay for his delivery. But, in the nick of time, a royalty check came in the mail, for Al Sherman's song, "Save Your Sorrow."

The elder Sherman wrote some memorable songs himself: "You've Gotta Be a Football Hero," "Potatoes Are Cheaper, Tomatoes Are Cheaper, Now's The Time to Fall In Love," and Maurice Chevalier's first big American hit, "Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight" (also performed by Tiny Tim in an episode of Spongebob Square Pants).

Richard Sherman came along in 1928, but it's not like the two started writing songs together right away. In fact, it was on a dare from their father that the brothers collaborated at all. One of their early efforts, a pop song called "Tall Paul," became a top ten Billboard hit in 1958 for Annette Funicello, she of Mickey Mouse Club fame.

Walt Disney himself was so impressed by the song and the brothers, he hired them on as staff songwriters for Walt Disney Studios. And with that, a songwriting spigot was turned on and has never really been turned off. "It's a Small World After All" was written for the New York World's Fair in 1964.

The Shermans earned two Academy Awards alone for Mary Poppins in 1965, with songs like "Feed the Birds," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and (Oscar-winner) "Chim Chim Cher-ee." Dick Van Dyke, who has been a friend of both men throughout the years, starred in the film and owns an original painting by Robert.

Robert and Richard worked directly for Disney until Disney's death in 1966. Their songwriting credits include work in such films as The Aristocats, The Parent Trap, Charlotte's Web, Snoopy Comes Home and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. They also penned the songs "You're Sixteen" (which rose to #1 twice, for Johnny Burnette in 1960 and Ringo Starr in 1974) and "Let's Get Together."

In 2000 the Sherman brothers wrote the song score for the Disney film, The Tigger Movie. It was their first major motion picture effort for the Disney company in over 28 years. Next up is a London stage musical production of Mary Poppins, slated to premier sometime next year. Robert is also overseeing the London West End production of his 1974 musical Over Here!, which will be previewed this fall.

To view more of Robert Sherman's art, or to learn more about the celebrity, please click on www.robertshermanart.com.

Robert Sherman and his brother Richard have written hundreds of popular songs, many for Disney. Here, Robert stands next to one of his paintings, "Sacrifice."

Sherman's autobiography is titled "Moose," his nickname.

"Carousel in the Country"

Robert Sherman (left) and his brother Richard (center) and wrote many songs for Walt Disney (right).

"Geisha"

"Self Portrait"