Bobby Sherman, the beloved teen idol and actor who captivated audiences in the 1960s and 1970s with his boyish charm and bubblegum pop hits, died Tuesday at age 81 after battling Stage 4 kidney cancer.
His wife, Brigitte Poublon, announced Sherman’s death Tuesday morning through friend John Stamos’ social media account. “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,” Poublon wrote in the emotional tribute.
Sherman had revealed his cancer diagnosis in March 2025, with Poublon confirming the cancer had spread throughout his body. The former teen heartthrob spent his final days listening to fan letters from around the world, maintaining his characteristic humor even as his health declined.
Born Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. on July 22, 1943, in Santa Monica, California, Sherman grew up in Van Nuys where he attended Birmingham High School. His path to stardom began unexpectedly at age 19 when he attended a Hollywood party celebrating the premiere of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” in 1965. Among the guests were Jane Fonda, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo, who were impressed by his impromptu performance with the band.
This chance encounter led to Sherman’s breakthrough role as a regular performer on the rock music variety show “Shindig!” from 1964 to 1966. The show’s popularity, which aired twice weekly during its second season, helped establish Sherman’s presence in the entertainment industry.
Sherman achieved true teen idol status in 1968 when he was cast in the ABC comedy-western “Here Come the Brides,” playing bashful 19th-century Seattle lumberjack Jeremy Bolt. The series, which ran for two seasons and 52 episodes until 1970, generated 25,000 pieces of fan mail weekly for Sherman and launched his recording career.
His musical success was immediate and substantial. Sherman’s first single, “Little Woman,” reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1969, earning gold certification. This was followed by three more Top 10 hits: “La La La (If I Had You)” peaked at number nine in January 1970, “Easy Come, Easy Go” reached the same position three months later, and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me” climbed to number five in September 1970.
By the end of 1972, Sherman had accumulated seven gold singles, one platinum single, and 10 gold albums. His album “Here Comes Bobby” spent 48 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 10. TV Guide recognized his cultural impact by ranking him eighth on their 2005 list of “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols.”
Sherman’s popularity extended far beyond music and television. His image appeared on lunch boxes, cereal boxes, and countless magazine covers, particularly Tiger Beat and Sixteen magazines. He became a merchandising phenomenon, with products ranging from posters to jewelry kits bearing his name and likeness.
Following “Here Come the Brides,” Sherman starred in “Getting Together,” a 1971 spinoff of “The Partridge Family” about struggling songwriters. However, the show lasted only 14 episodes, unable to compete with “All in the Family” in prime time. His final television series was “Sanchez of Bel-Air” in 1986, one of USA Network’s first scripted shows.
Sherman’s marriage to Patti Carnel in 1971 became a source of controversy when it was revealed in 1972 that the couple had secretly wed 14 months earlier, with Carnel six months pregnant at the time of their marriage. The revelation also disclosed that Sherman was actually 28 years old, not 25 as publicly stated. This marriage ended in divorce in 1977, and Carnel later married Sherman’s “Here Come the Brides” co-star David Soul.
After stepping away from the entertainment spotlight in the late 1980s, Sherman embarked on a remarkable second career in public service. He became a certified emergency medical technician in 1988 and later served as chief medical training officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, teaching first aid and CPR to recruits while donating his salary.
Sherman also worked as a reserve deputy with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and estimated he helped deliver five babies in emergency situations, including one instance where a grateful mother named her child Roberta after learning his name. His dedication to public service earned him the LAPD’s Reserve Officer of the Year award for 1999, the FBI’s Exceptional Service Award, and the “Twice a Citizen” Award from the Los Angeles County Reserve Foundation.
In 2010, Sherman married Brigitte Poublon, a real estate agent who runs their charity helping children in Ghana. He continued his humanitarian work while occasionally participating in nostalgic tours, including the 1990s “Teen Idols Tour” with former heartthrobs Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones.
Sherman is survived by his wife Brigitte, two sons Tyler and Christopher from his first marriage, and six grandchildren. His transformation from teen idol to dedicated public servant exemplified what Poublon described as his character: a man who showed what real heroism looks like through quiet, selfless service to others.
