Bobby Sherman is dead. Best known for his bouncy pop music and television appearances throughout the late ’60s and early ’70s, Sherman made his mark with seven top 40 hits and five gold records. As confirmed by Sherman’s friend, actor John Stamos, Sherman died of cancer at his California home. He was 81.
“It is with the heaviest heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Bobby Sherman,” Sherman’s wife, Brigitte Poulson, wrote in an Instagram post published by Stamos. “Bobby left this world holding my hand—just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace through all 29 beautiful years of marriage. I was his Cinderella, and he was my prince charming. Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That’s who Bobby was—brave, gentle, and full of light.”
“As he rested, I read him fan letters from all over the world—words of love and gratitude that lifted his spirits and reminded him of how deeply he was cherished. He soaked up every word with that familiar sparkle in his eye. And yes, he still found time to crack well-timed jokes—Bobby had a wonderful, wicked sense of humor. It never left him. He could light up a room with a look, a quip, or one of his classic, one-liners.”
Born in Santa Monica, California, on July 22, 1943, Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. was the son of a milkman. He grew up in Van Nuys before attending Pierce College to study child psychology. During high school and between football practice, he trained as a singer, which came in handy when he attended a party populated with Hollywood royalty. In the mid-’60s, he was dating a woman who knew director George Stevens, who was hosting a July 4 party with the cast of The Greatest Story Ever Told. Sherman tagged along, and recognizing some members of the party’s house band, he took the stage and sang before an audience that included Natalie Wood and Jane Fonda, who encouraged him to get a manager. Days later, Wood followed up and got him a meeting at MGM, leading to his debut on Shindig, a pop-music show from 1964 to 1966.
By that time, Sherman had already recorded several singles, including 1962’s “Judy You’ll Never Know (I’ll Tell You)” and 1963’s “I Want To Hear It From Her.” But he couldn’t land a hit, dancing around Billboard’s Hot 100 for years. As he waited for his first big success, he released a series of singles on Decca, including “It Hurts Me,” which reached No. 44 in Canada. Shindig also led to more television work, including a 1967 episode of The Monkees, parodying Frankie Avalon, and landing a starring role on the ABC series, Here Comes The Brides, in 1968.
In 1969, Sherman hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts with “Little Woman,” kicking off a string of hits. However, as a teen idol crafting bubblegum pop, the shelf life of his fame was short. He released seven albums between 1969 and 1972, and by 1975, his teen idol career was coming to an end. Sherman left show business by the mid-’70s. While Sherman released a handful of CDs in the ’90s, he found a new path as a paramedic, volunteering as a trainer for the LAPD, holding CPR and first aid classes. He retired in 2010.
Sherman is survived by his sister, his wife, Brigitte, and two sons from a previous marriage.
