The Players Club has announced that legendary sibling composers Robert and Richard Sherman will receive the Theatre Museum's Career Achievement Award on May 17. Also set to receive awards are Samuel French Inc. and the Mint Theatre, each being rewarded the Theatre Museum Arts Education Award and the Theatre History Preservation Award, respectively.
As the only songwriters ever to be put under contract by Walt Disney Studios, The Sherman Brothers created a unique sound that became synonymous with the Disney musical. Just some of their numerous film credits include "Mary Poppins," "The Aristocats," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "The Jungle Book," "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" and "The Parent Trap," as well as such non-Disney titles as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Charlotte's Web," "Tom Sawyer," and "Snoopy Come Home." They also wrote the hit song "You're Sixteen," which twice hit Billboard's Top 10; first in 1960 with Johnny Burnette, then in 1974 with Ringo Starr, when it went all the way to No. 1. Their song "It's a Small World (After All)" debuted at the 1964 World's Fair and is the most translated song on earth.
Among their many honors are two Academy Awards® (plus seven additional Oscar® nominations), the BMI Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy® and five Golden Globe® nominations. They are members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a 2008 ceremony at the White House, The Sherman Brothers were awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor the United States government bestows on artists.
Richard M. Sherman currently resides in Beverly Hills where he continues performing his music and writing new songs. Robert B. Sherman lives in London, where in addition to his ongoing collaboration with his brother, he has completed an autobiography and continues his life commitment to painting.
For more information, visit www.thetheatremuseum.org.
