’70s Teen Idol and TV Star Dies at 81

Bobby Sherman, the beloved pop singer and television actor who stole hearts in the late ’60s and early ’70s, has passed away at 81. His wife, Brigitte Poublon Sherman, shared the heartbreaking news Tuesday morning on Instagram, saying he died peacefully while holding her hand.

Bobby had been battling stage 4 kidney cancer, a diagnosis Brigitte first shared with fans back in March. In her emotional tribute, she called Bobby her “prince charming,” remembering his courage, humor, and strength during his final days.

“He stayed strong for me, even in his final days,” she wrote. “He soaked up every fan letter, still cracked his signature jokes, and kept that twinkle in his eye.”

Though best known as a chart-topping teen idol and star of Here Come the Brides, Bobby left Hollywood behind to become a real-life hero. He reinvented himself as an EMT and LAPD trainer, saving lives and teaching first aid and CPR to officers for decades.

John Stamos, another former teen heartthrob, paid tribute on social media, writing, “From one ex-teen idol to another — rest in peace Bobby Sherman.”

Bobby shot to fame on ABC’s Here Come the Brides from 1968 to 1970, quickly parlaying his boy-next-door charm into pop stardom. His biggest hits included “Little Woman,” “Julie, Do Ya Love Me,” “La La La (If I Had You),” and “Easy Come, Easy Go,” all of which cracked the Billboard Top 10. He also had several gold-certified albums and a near-constant presence in teen magazines like Tiger Beat and 16.

His rise to fame began by chance. While attending Pierce College, he sang impromptu at a celebrity-filled beach party. Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood spotted him and encouraged him to pursue entertainment. Soon, Sherman landed a spot on the music show Shindig, and the rest was history.

Though Shindig was short-lived, Bobby’s career took off again with his role as Jeremy Bolt on Here Come the Brides. He later made appearances on shows like The Partridge Family, Emergency!, Murder, She Wrote, Frasier, and even starred in a couple of cult films, including Get Crazy.

After stepping back from music in the mid-’70s, Bobby found a new calling in emergency medicine. He became a certified EMT and instructor with the LAPD, dedicating his time to teaching life-saving techniques. “If I had a wish,” he once said, “it would be that every man, woman and child would learn first aid and CPR. You never know when you’ll need it.”

Bobby never turned his back on the fans who adored him. “I never got tired of it,” he said in the ’90s. “I was blessed with really nice fans, and they’re still with me. God bless ’em.”

He returned briefly to touring in the late ’90s with fellow teen idols Davy Jones and Peter Noone, before retiring again in the early 2000s.

Bobby is survived by his wife Brigitte, sons Christopher and Tyler, and six grandchildren. He married Brigitte in 2010 after a previous marriage to Patti Carnel, the mother of his children.

In her final message, Brigitte reflected on Bobby’s legacy: “He lived with integrity, gave without hesitation, and loved with his whole heart. Though we feel his loss deeply, we are comforted by the light he left behind — his voice, his laughter, his music, and his mission.”

Fans around the world are mourning the loss of a man who made girls swoon, saved lives, and stayed humble through it all.