Bob Iger, John Stamos and Hayley Mills remember Disney legend Richard Sherman

An emotional tribute to Disney legend Richard M. Sherman took place on Sunday at D23: The ultimate Disney fan event, presented by Visa.

“Jolly Holiday: A D23 Musical Celebration of Richard M. Sherman” included performances and surprise appearances by some of the people who knew him best.

Sherman, who was one half of the Oscar-winning songwriting duo the Sherman Brothers, died of an age-related illness in Beverly Hills on May 25. He was 95.

A key member of Walt Disney’s inner circle of creative talent, Sherman received nine Academy Award nominations (two for his work on the 1964 classic “Mary Poppins”), won three GRAMMY Awards, and received 24 gold and platinum albums over the course of his 65-year career.

The presentation began with Disney CEO Bob Iger sharing his memories of Sherman, one of the most prolific composers and lyricists in the history of family entertainment.

Iger said Sherman came to him a few years ago and told him he had written a new verse to “It’s a Small World.”

“He would be so happy to know that even at the end of his life, he was still creating magic to bring joy to all of you, the world’s biggest Disney fans,” Iger said.

Actor and Disney fan John Stamos performed next, expressing his deep awe and gratitude for Sherman and his music, and asking fans to ensure his incredible songs live on forever.

“Keep your melodies alive,” he said.

Stamos brought Disney legends Floyd Norman and Tony Baxter, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Broadway star Ashley Brown and producer Don Hahn to the stage.

During their conversation, Hahn said that Sherman’s wife was his secret weapon.

“If there is a Jiminy Cricket in his life, it is his wife Ellizabeth,” he said.

Feige then said that shortly before Disney acquired Marvel, it was suggested that he meet with Sherman to help create a song for the Stark Expo in Iron Man 2. The end result was “Make Way For Tomorrow Today.” In a video shown during the presentation, Sherman played piano and sang while Feige and Jon Favreau watched in awe of a song they described as completely mature and authentic.

Floyd said working with Sherman was a pleasure. While working on The Jungle Book, Walt Disney told him the film needed a song, he recalled. Before the end of the week, Sherman had written “Trust In Me.”

As a tribute to this film, actors Darren Criss and Stamos sang “I Wan’na Be like You (The Monkey Song)” and played drums.

Next on stage was film critic Leonard Maltin and his daughter Jessie Maltin.

“If there was a piano in the room, Richard played it,” Leonard said.

They told stories of trips and dinners with Sherman and his wife, echoing the sentiments of others that the songwriter was a down-to-earth guy who happened to have extraordinary talent.

Next on stage were Disney actresses Hayley Mills from “The Twins” and Lesley Ann Warren from “The Happiest Millionaire”.

After sharing their memories, they sang “Let’s Get Together” from The Twins, to the delight of the fans in the audience.

Stamos later introduced Sherman’s son Greg to the stage. He thanked Disney fans for their years of support for his father.

“Thank you, loyal Disney fans, for making my father’s life truly matter,” he said.

Sherman’s granddaughter, Mandy Rose Wolf, later sang a soulful rendition of “The Age of Not Believing” from The Broomstick.

And at the end, everyone who had appeared on stage came back to sing along to “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from “Mary Poppins”.

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