Composer who helped write string of classic Disney film songs dies aged 86

ROBERT B Sherman, who wrote classic Disney songs such as Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and It’s a Small World (After All), has died in London at the age of 86.

With his brother Richard, he wrote songs for films such as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Jungle Book.

His death, on Monday, was announced by his son Jeffrey Sherman with a message on Facebook and confirmed by his agent Stella Richards.

The Sherman brothers won two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins, including best song for Chim Chim Cher-ee.

They were nominated for several more Oscars, including for the title song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, during their career, which spanned more than 50 years.

They were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976.

The brothers enjoyed a ten-year association with Walt Disney in which they composed more than 150 songs for films, TV shows and Disneyland.

Their most famous compositions include A Spoonful of Sugar in Mary Poppins, and Trust In Me and I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book.