(Los Angeles) American composer Richard Sherman, author of popular melodies for Disney productions such as Mary Poppins Or The jungle Bookdied Saturday at the age of 95, the studio announced.
He died in Beverly Hills following an illness linked to his advanced age, Disney explained.
With his brother Robert, who passed away in 2012, he formed a prolific duo of composers for the entertainment giant between 1960 and 1973, participating in the creation of more than 200 songs for 27 films and around twenty television productions.
He was notably the co-author of Chem chem chimney (Chim chim Cher-ee in original version), iconic title of the film Mary Poppins (1964), which won an Academy Award for Best Song.
While Robert Sherman wrote the lyrics, Richard composed the melody.
The duo of brothers is also at the origin of It’s a Small World And I Wan’na Be Like You (“Be a man like you”) in The jungle Bookiconic Disney cartoon.
In a press release, the American company described Richard Sherman as a “key member” of its founder Walt Disney’s “close circle of creative talents”.
“We will be forever grateful for the mark Richard leaves on the world,” current Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.