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Bobby Sherman

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Bobby Sherman
Sherman in 1969
Sherman in 1969
Background information
Birth nameRobert Cabot Sherman Jr.
Born (1943-07-22) July 22, 1943 (age 81)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
GenresPop
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actor
  • police officer
  • paramedic
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1962–2001
LabelsVarious; see Discography

Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. (born July 22, 1943) is an American singer and actor who was a teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had a series of successful singles, notably the million-seller "Little Woman" (1969). Sherman left show business in the 1970s for a career as a paramedic and a deputy sheriff, but performed occasionally into the 1990s.[1]

Entertainment career

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Music

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In 1962, Sal Mineo wrote two songs for Sherman and arranged for Sherman to record them. In 1964, Mineo asked Sherman to sing with his band at a Hollywood party where many actors and agents were in attendance. After this, Sherman signed with an agent and soon landed a part on the ABC television show Shindig! as a house singer and member of the cast.[2][3]

Sherman made several records with Decca and another smaller label and appeared in teen magazines. In early 1968, he was selected for the role of Jeremy Bolt, a bashful, stammering logger, in the ABC television series Here Come the Brides (1968–1970). As of 1970, Sherman had received more fan mail than any other performer on the ABC-TV network.[3]

Sherman appeared on an episode of Honey West titled "The Princess and the Paupers" as a kidnapped band member. He also appeared on The Monkees in the episode "Monkees at the Movies", playing a conceited surfer-singer named Frankie Catalina (in the model of Frankie Avalon) and performing the song "The New Girl in School" (the flip of Jan & Dean's "Dead Man's Curve").

Sherman released 107 songs, 23 singles and 10 albums between 1962 and 1976; seven of his songs were top 40 hits. He earned seven gold singles, one platinum single, and five gold albums. In 1969, he signed with Metromedia Records and released the single "Little Woman", which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (#2 in Canada) and spent nine weeks in the Top 20. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in October 1969.[4]

His other hits were "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" (written by Tom Bahler), "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Jennifer", "La La La (If I Had You)", and "The Drum"(written by Alan O'Day). Some of these songs were produced by Jackie Mills, who also produced the Brady Bunch Kids. In Canada, "Hey, Mister Sun" reached #19, "Cried Like a Baby" reached #10, and "Waiting at the Bus Stop" reached #31. "La, La, La," "Easy Come, Easy Go," and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" all sold in excess of a million copies and earned more gold discs for Sherman.[4] "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" was Sherman's sole entry in the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at #28 in November 1970.[5] The song competed there for chart space with White Plains' cover version, which placed at #8.[6]

Sherman toured extensively through the United States and the world in support of his records and albums. He gave many concerts to sellout crowds of mostly screaming young women from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.[3] The screaming of the young women was so loud that Sherman experienced hearing loss.[7][8]

Television and film

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Sherman was a regular star on the weekly ABC television network show Here Come the Brides from September 25, 1968, to September 18, 1970. He played the youngest brother, Jeremy Bolt.[9]

Sherman was a frequent guest on American Bandstand and Where the Action Is. In March 1971 he appeared on an episode of The Partridge Family as a back-door pilot for the ABC TV series Getting Together, which aired starting in September 1971[2] and was canceled after 14 episodes.

Sherman was a guest star on television series such as Emergency!, The F.B.I., The Mod Squad, Ellery Queen, Murder She Wrote and Frasier. He has also been a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, KTLA Morning News, Visiting with Huell Howser on PBS, Good Day LA, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and later Jay Leno. He was featured on 20/20, VH1, Entertainment Tonight, and Extra, among other television shows.

Sherman was a regular cast member on the television show Sanchez of Bel Air in 1986.

Although most of Sherman's acting career was on television, he also appeared in two movies. In 1975, Sherman starred in the family film He Is My Brother, directed by Edward Dmytryk.[10] In 1983, Sherman appeared alongside fellow teen idol Fabian as the villain's henchmen in the cult film Get Crazy, directed by Allan Arkush.[11]

Comeback and retirement

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In 1998, after an absence of 25 years, Sherman appeared in "The Teen Idol Tour" with Peter Noone and Davy Jones. (Micky Dolenz replaced Davy Jones on the tour in 1999.) Sherman performed his last concert as a solo performer in Lincoln, Rhode Island on August 25, 2001. Although retired from public life, he still appeared at corporate and charity events. He was ranked No. 8 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (January 23, 2005, issue).

Post-entertainment career

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In 1974, Sherman guest-starred on an episode of the Jack Webb television series Emergency! ("Fools", season 3, episode 17, aired January 19, 1974), and found a new calling. Eventually, he left the public spotlight and became a paramedic. He volunteered with the Los Angeles Police Department, working with paramedics and giving CPR and first aid classes. He became a technical Reserve Police Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1990s, a position he still held as of 2017.[8] For more than a decade he served as a medical training officer at the Los Angeles Police Academy, instructing thousands of police officers in first aid and CPR. He was named LAPD's Reserve Officer of the Year in 1999.

Sherman also became a reserve deputy sheriff in 1999 with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, continuing his CPR and emergency training of new deputy hires. He retired from the sheriff's department in 2010.[8]

Sherman and his wife co-founded the Brigitte & Bobby Sherman Children's (BBSC) Foundation.[12] The foundation's mission is to provide motivated students in Ghana with a high quality education and music program, and to provide tools to pursue higher education.[13]

Personal life

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Sherman was born to Robert Cabot Sherman Sr. and Juanita (née Freeman) Sherman in Santa Monica, California.[3] He grew up in Van Nuys, California, with his sister Darlene.

Published accounts indicate that Sherman's relationship with Sal Mineo was personal as well as professional.[14][15]

Sherman's first wife was Patti Carnel; the couple had two sons before they divorced.[16] Sherman married Brigitte Poublon on July 18, 2010, in Las Vegas.

Legacy

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In the season 4 episode of The Simpsons, "Brother From the Same Planet", Lisa Simpson develops an expensive habit of calling a 900 number for a heartthrob known as "Corey," loosely based on Corey Feldman. When her mother attempts to sympathize with Lisa by confessing her girlhood crush on Bobby Sherman, Lisa snickers and ridicules her.

Discography

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Singles

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  • 1962 "Judy, You'll Never Know (I'll Never Tell You)"/"The Telegram" (Starcrest)
  • 1963 "I Want to Hear It from Her"/"Nobody's Sweetheart" (Dot)
  • 1964 "You Make Me Happy"/"Man Overboard" (Decca)
  • 1965 "It Hurts Me"/"Give Me Your Word" (Decca) US No. 118,[17] Canada No. 44 [18]
  • 1965 "Hey Little Girl"/"Well, Allright" (Decca)
  • 1965 "Anything Your Little Heart Desires"/Goody Galum-Shus" (Parkway)
  • 1965 "Happiness Is"/"Can't Get Used to Losing You" (Cameo)
  • 1967 "Cold Girl"/"Think Of Rain" (Epic)
  • 1969 "Judy, You'll Never Know (I'll Never Tell You)"/"The Telegram" (Condor) (reissue)
  • 1969 "Little Woman"/"One Too Many Mornings" (Metromedia), US No. 3,[17] RIAA certification Gold, Canada No. 2
  • 1969 "La La La (If I Had You)"/"Time" (Metromedia), US No. 9,[17] US AC No. 14,[19] RIAA Gold, Canada No. 7
  • 1970 "Easy Come, Easy Go"/"Sounds Along the Way" (Metromedia), US No. 9,[17] US AC No. 2,[19] RIAA Gold, Canada No. 6
  • 1970 "Hey, Mister Sun"/"Two Blind Minds" (Metromedia), US No. 24,[17] US AC No. 3,[19] Canada No. 19
  • 1970 "Julie, Do Ya Love Me"/"Spend Some Time Lovin Me" (Metromedia), US No. 5,[17] US AC No. 2,[19] RIAA Gold, Canada No. 3
  • 1971 "Goin' Home (Sing a Song of Christmas Cheer)"/"Love's What You're Getting for Christmas" (Metromedia), US CB No. 70[17]
  • 1971 "Cried Like a Baby"/"Is Anybody There" (Metromedia), US No. 16,[17] US AC No. 9,[19] Canada No. 10
  • 1971 "The Drum"/"Free Now to Roam" (Metromedia), US No. 29,[17] US AC No. 2,[19] Canada No. 7
  • 1971 "Waiting at the Bus Stop"/"Run Away" (Metromedia), US No. 54,[17] Canada No. 31
  • 1971 "Jennifer"/"Getting Together" (Metromedia), US No. 60,[17] US AC No. 9,[19] Canada No. 32
  • 1972 "Together Again"/"Picture a Little Girl" (Metromedia), US No. 91,[17] RPM No. 52,[20] Canada No. 52
  • 1972 "I Don't Believe in Magic"/"Just a Little While Longer" (Metromedia)
  • 1972 "Early in the Morning"/"Unborn Lullabye" (Metromedia), US No. 113[17]
  • 1974 "Mr. Success"/"Runaway" (Janus)
  • 1975 "Our Last Song Together"/"Sunshine Rose" (Janus), US CB No. 103,[17] US AC No. 34[19]

Original LPs

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  • 1969 Bobby Sherman (Metromedia), US No. 11,[21] RIAA Gold
  • 1970 Here Comes Bobby (Metromedia), US No. 10,[21] RIAA Gold
  • 1970 With Love, Bobby (Metromedia), US No. 20,[21] RIAA Gold
  • 1970 Christmas Album (Metromedia), US Christmas Albums No. 2,[22] (see NOTE below)
  • 1971 Portrait of Bobby (Metromedia), US No. 48[21]
  • 1971 Getting Together (Metromedia), US No. 71[21]
  • 1972 Just For You (Metromedia)

NOTE: Metromedia released 2 versions of Christmas Album: one contained "Prologue"; the other replaced it with "Goin' Home (Sing A Song Of Christmas Cheer)"—rest of LP is identical.

Compilation LPs

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  • 1971 Bobby Bobby Bobby (promo only) (Metromedia Special Products)
  • 1972 Bobby Sherman's Greatest Hits (Metromedia), US No. 83[21]
  • 1972 Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Bobby Sherman (Superstar Records)
  • 1975 Remembering You (Phase One) (This album contains 7 previously released songs (Mr. Success, Julie Do You Love Me, Runaway, Easy Come Easy Go, Early In The Morning, Cried Like A Baby, Our Last Song Together) and 5 new songs not available anywhere else (Beginnings Are Easy, Fresh Out Of Love, I'll Never Stop Singing My Song, Here With You, Just Ask Me I've Been There)).

CDs

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  • 1990 What Came Before (Teen Ager #622) ("Just For You" with bonus tracks)
  • 1991 The Very Best of Bobby Sherman (Restless)
  • 1992 Christmas Album (Restless)
  • 1995 All-Time Greatest Hits (K-tel) (contains 2 previously unreleased songs, "Where There's A Heartache" and "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow")
  • 1995 Bobby Sherman (K-tel)
  • 1995 Here Comes Bobby (K-tel)
  • 1995 With Love, Bobby (K-tel)
  • 1995 Portrait of Bobby (K-tel)
  • 1995 Getting Together (K-tel)
  • 1999 My Christmas Wish (KRB) (reissue of Christmas Album)
  • 2000 The Very Best of Bobby Sherman (Varese)
  • 2001 Here Comes Bobby / With Love, Bobby (Collectables Records) (2 albums on 1 CD)
  • 2001 Bobby Sherman / Portrait of Bobby (Collectables Records) (2 albums on 1 CD)
  • 2008 Just For You (K-tel)
  • 2010 Love Songs (K-Tel)
  • 2015 The Partridge Family: Missing Pieces (Bell) (one track is Bobby Sherman singing "Stephanie")
  • 2017 Singles (Four-Teen) (contains 6 previously unreleased songs, "Stop The Music", "Old Girlfriends", "Over Here", "The New Girl In School", "Beautiful Doll" and "Today I Chipped A Piece Off Of The Sun")

Songs included on various artists compilation CDs

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  • 1993 Yesterday's Heroes: Teen Idols of the 70's (Rhino)
  • 1994 Have a Nice Christmas: Christmas in the 70's (Rhino)
  • 1994 Tube Tunes Volume One: the 70's (Rhino)
  • 1996 Bubblegum Classics, Vol. 3 (Varese)
  • 1992 TV Family Christmas (Scotti Brothers)

References

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  1. ^ "Bobby Sherman Turns 73: A Look Back at His Career and Where He's Been for the Past 30 Years". inquisitr.com.
  2. ^ a b Laurent, Lawrence (August 13, 1971). "Bobby Sherman Bridges Age Gap". Tucson Citizen. p. 27.
  3. ^ a b c d Orloff, Kathy (November 8, 1970). "Bubble Gum Bobby and Micro-Boppers". Los Angeles Times. p. Ten.
  4. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London, UK: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 267, 285. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 496. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 599. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ "Bobby Sherman". classicbands.com.
  8. ^ a b c Felthousen-Post, Cyn. "Groovy Teen Idol Bobby Sherman". Groovy History.
  9. ^ Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946–present, Ballantine Books, 1979, page 260
  10. ^ McDonagh, Fintan (2021). Edward Dmytryk: Reassessing His Films and Life. McFarland. p. 270. ISBN 9781476680927.
  11. ^ Sobczynski, Peter (December 30, 2021). "Just Another Step on the Journey, Man!: 1983's Underrated NYE Comedy, Get Crazy". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  12. ^ "Who We Are". Brigitte & Bobby Sherman Foundation. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  13. ^ "Mission Statement". Brigitte & Bobby Sherman Foundation. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  14. ^ Bogdanovich, Peter (March 1, 1978). "Peter Bogdanovich on the Long, Slow Decline of a Teenage Star". Esquire. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022 – via 2022 reprint of 1978 essay.
  15. ^ "Gay History - February 12, 1976: Actor Sal Mineo Murdered In West Hollywood". Back2Stonewall. February 12, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  16. ^ "Brigitte & Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation - Founders". Bbscfoundation.org. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book Billboard/Cash Box/Record World 1954–1982. Sheridan Books. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
  18. ^ "RPM Top 40 & 5 - March 15, 1965" (PDF).
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h Whitburn, Joel (2007). Billboard Top Adult Songs 1961–2006. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  20. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 18, 1972" (PDF).
  21. ^ a b c d e f Whitburn, Joel (2018). Top Pop Albums 1955-2016. Prometheus Global Media. ISBN 978-0-89820-226-7.
  22. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004. Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
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