The era of late 1960s and early 1970s teen adoration has lost one of its most prominent figures. Bobby Sherman, the heartthrob whose infectious bubblegum pop hits and charming television presence made fans swoon, passed away on June 24 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81 years old.
His passing was announced by his wife, Brigitte Poublon, in a post shared by friend and fellow actor John Stamos on Instagram. The news comes a few months after Poublon had shared in March that Sherman was battling Stage 4 cancer.
A Look Back at Bobby Sherman’s Rise to Fame
Born Robert Cabot Sherman jnr on July 22, 1943, in Santa Monica, California, Sherman’s entry into the entertainment world was notably serendipitous. Growing up in Hollywood, he found himself struggling to find work. A chance invitation to a party hosted by actor Sal Mineo led him to sing with his former high school band members. His performance of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” reportedly caught the attention of Hollywood stars Natalie Wood and Jane Fonda, along with Mineo. This encounter helped him land an agent and begin working, initially as a house singer on the popular variety show Shindig! and later making appearances on shows like The Monkees.
His career truly exploded when he was cast as Jeremy Bolt on the popular TV sitcom Here Come the Brides. The show, set in a Seattle logging town and running from 1968 to 1970, centered around recruiting women for lonely lumberjacks. Sherman’s role on the show quickly established him as a teen idol.
“Bubblegum Bobby” and Music Success
Leveraging his television exposure, Sherman launched a highly successful music career in 1969. He quickly became known as a “king of bubblegum pop,” a genre characterized by upbeat, catchy tunes aimed at a young audience. His association with the genre earned him the enduring nickname “Bubblegum Bobby.”
He released a string of hits that dominated the charts and radio waves, including:
“Little Woman”
“La La La (If I Had You)”
“Easy Come, Easy Go”
“Julie, Do Ya Love Me”
“Cried Like a Baby”
These songs solidified his status as a musical sensation alongside his TV fame.
The Intensity of Teen Idolatry
At his peak, Bobby Sherman’s popularity was immense. He was a ubiquitous presence, not only on television and radio but also featured prominently in teen fan magazines like 16 and Tiger Beat. His face adorned countless pieces of merchandise, from posters and T-shirts to cereal boxes and lunch boxes, reflecting the intense adoration of his young fans.
The fervor surrounding him was so great that escaping fans could be a challenge. An anecdote recounts an instance where, after a performance, Sherman had to use a hearse as a decoy vehicle to elude the crowds trailing him.
Later Career and Reflections
Following Here Come the Brides, Sherman made other television appearances, including a guest spot on The Partridge Family in 1971. He also starred in the short-lived spin-off, Getting Together, which premiered in 1971 but ended in 1972 after struggling against competitor sitcoms like All in the Family*. This period marked the essential end of his time as a major chart-topping star.
Years later, Sherman reflected on his career, expressing that he was not entirely regretful about stepping away from the spotlight. He conveyed that he came to view his time in the industry as being orchestrated by “fast-thinking and wheeler-dealer kinds of people” who were primarily “capitalising” on the enthusiasm of his young fans.
Bobby Sherman leaves behind a legacy as a memorable voice and face of a specific, effervescent era in American pop culture and entertainment.
