Bobby Sherman, a singer and actor who became a quintessential shaggy-haired teen idol of the late 1960s and early ’70s, died Tuesday at age 81.
His wife, Brigette Poublon Sherman, had announced three months ago that the entertainer had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
In posting the news of his death to Instagram Tuesday morning, Poublon Sherman wrote, “It is with the heaviest heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Bobby Sherman. 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.”
She continued, “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.”
Sherman’s wife pointed to how he had reinvented himself in his post-idol decades, finding new roles far from the screen or concert stage: “He was a man of service. He traded sold-out concerts and magazine covers for the back of an ambulance, becoming an EMT and a trainer with the LAPD. He saved lives. He showed us what real heroism looks like — quiet, selfless, and deeply human.”
His friend John Stamos confirmed the news, reposting Brigitte’s message and adding, “From one ex-teen idol to another — rest in peace Bobby Sherman.”
The news had been anticipated ever since his wife revealed to fans in social media posts in late March and early April that the entertainer had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, explaining why he would no longer be able to make personal appearances. “Thank you so much for still remembering him,” she wrote then on her Facebook page. “We really appreciate it.”
She had elaborated on his condition in an interview with Fox News Digital published April 2, saying that Sherman was “at home with special care” at that time after the previous night being in the hospital and telling her, “Brig, I just want to go home.” Poublon Sherman added that he was suffering from kidney cancer that had “spread everywhere… He was doing crossword puzzles with me in the last few days. And then all of a sudden Saturday, he turned around and… he’s just sleeping more and his body’s not working anymore. Everything’s shutting down.”
Sherman came to fame as a regular for two seasons on the ABC series “Here Come the Brides” in 1968-1970 and quickly parlayed that into an even bigger career as a singing star. Sherman was especially beloved by adolescent and pre-teen girls for his hit singles and television appearances, coming to be literally the poster boy for the power of bubblegum music for a few years. With his suitable-for-wall-pasting photo spreads in magazines like Tiger Beat and 16, Sherman was rivaled only by Donny Osmond and David Cassidy in his power to mesmerize with a soothing voice and cuddly good looks.
At his peak, in 1969-70, he had four singles reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and achieve gold-selling status: “Little Woman” (No. 3), “La La La (If I Had You)” (No. 9), “Easy Come, Easy Go” (No. 9) and perhaps his best-known song, or the one most likely to be spontaneously belted out by fans of a certain age, “Julie, Do Ya Love Me” (No. 5).
Other hits that didn’t reach quite that high but still impacted the Hot 100 or adult contemporary charts included “Hey, Mister Sun,” “Cried Like a Baby,” “The Drum” and “Jennifer.” He also had three albums achieve gold status.
Besides his wife, Sherman is survived by two sons, Tyler and Christopher, and six grandchildren.
In her social media message, Brigitte added: “He lived with integrity, gave without hesitation, and loved with his whole heart. And though our family feels his loss profoundly, we also feel the warmth of his legacy — his voice, his laughter, his music, his mission. Thank you to every fan who ever sang along, who ever wrote a letter, who ever sent love his way. He felt it.”
