We were saddened by the news that Robert Sherman had passed away on 5th March 2012.

Whilst we use only two of his songs in our Musical Minis classes – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (from the film of the same name) and Ugly Bug Ball (from Summer Magic) these are both firm favourites, enjoyed by children, carers and leaders alike.

Robert Sherman, together with his brother Richard, wrote prolifically for Walt Disney. The Ugly Bug Ball was one of the first songs picked up by Walt Disney but only after a struggle. Walt Disney didn’t originally like the song and it was only after Robert Sherman explained that to each other bugs were not ugly even if they looked ugly to us, beauty being in the eye of the beholder that Disney relented.