Teen Heartthrob Turned Hero: Bobby Sherman’s Remarkable Journey

Bobby Sherman gained widespread fame as a teenage heartthrob in the 1960s. However, once he became a father, he underwent a significant career shift, opting to pursue a path in emergency medicine. According to him, this decision has proven to be “tremendously rewarding.”

Bobby Sherman holds multiple titles, recognized by his fans as a singer, actor, and occasional songwriter. Rising to fame as a teen idol during the ’60s and ’70s, he achieved success with a string of hit singles. Among them was the 1969 release “Little Woman,” which sold millions.

Former teen idol Bobby Sherman photographed in 1970 | Source: Getty Images

However, beyond his musical accomplishments, Sherman gained recognition as the man who prioritized his children over his career, transitioning into a role as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and later becoming a reserve deputy sheriff.

By 1970, alongside producing numerous hit singles, Sherman was also involved in filming “Here Comes The Bride” and “The Partridge Family.” His schedule was so demanding that he worked five days a week on film sets and performed evening shows on weekends. Recalling this period, he mentioned:

“It was so hectic for three years that I didn’t know what home was.”

Despite the success of concerts and shows, the intense workload left him feeling disoriented. Seeking a change, he constructed a studio in his garage and, over the years, composed scores for various films and television productions.

The cast of the American comedy western TV series “Here Come The Brides” circa 1969. Bridget Hanley, Robert Brown and Joan Blondell [Standing, Left-Right] David Soul and Bobby Sherman [Sitting, Left-Right] | Source: Getty Images

The initial encounter between Sherman and his future wife, Patti Carmel, was entirely serendipitous. Sherman resided in the same apartment building as Carmel’s friend, Diane. On this occasion, Diane mistook him for the host of the musical variety series “Shindig!”

Following their initial meeting, the “Easy Come, Easy Go” singer and Carmel commenced dating, eventually moving in together. Upon tying the knot, they joyously welcomed two sons into their family, Christopher and Tyler. Sherman actively participated in their upbringing and was present in the delivery room for the birth of his son Tyler.

Bobby Sherman and “Shindig” costar, Donna Loren, on July 7, 1965 | Source: Getty Images

Sherman has led a life free from drinking or smoking, citing that it was simply a personal choice and not due to any particular reason. As he aged, he was determined not to set an example of drinking or smoking for his children, wishing to shield them from such influences. His deep affection for his children was evident when he constructed a $15,000 one-fifth-scale replica of Disneyland’s Main Street in the backyard of his Encino home. During the early 1970s, Sherman found fulfillment in his flourishing music and film career, coupled with the joy of raising his two beloved boys.

Bobby Sherman photogaphed near an emergency vehicle in 1992 | Source: Getty Images

Despite the success and balance in his professional and family life, Sherman faced a personal challenge in 1979 when his marriage to Carmel came to an end. Despite the divorce, he made the conscious decision to reside nearby to stay close to his sons and maintain an active presence in their lives.

Bobby Sherman at the 23rd Annual Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament in Los Angeles in 1994 | Source: Getty Images

Despite his fulfilling life, Sherman encountered a celebrity’s nightmare—a stalker. Ethel Richards, a woman who had been Sherman’s fan since her teenage years, took a troubling turn in 1994. She began sending him letters, expressing a desire to visit him.

Undeterred by his lack of response, she once visited him at his home in Encino, having traveled by Greyhound bus to Los Angeles. She arrived at 3 p.m. and rang the doorbell. Sherman, who had been watching her through a security camera, called the police, prompting an arrest.

Sherman Sacrificed His Music Career to Save Lives

As his kids began to grow, the “Mr. Success” singer discovered that his wife was squeamish about blood, so he often took up nursing his children’s bruised knees and bloody noses. After taking an introductory first aid-CPR class, he realized he had a knack for it. He recalled:

“Eventually, if I’d be driving down the street and there was an accident, and there was no medical help on hand, I’d get out and, since I usually had some stuff with me, I’d help.”

Pop star and TV actor Bobby Sherman | Source: Getty Images

With more training, the actor began working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and later added skills in defibrillation. He also started training other EMTs and instructing thousands of police officers in first aid and CPR. When the Los Angeles Police Department caught wind of what he was doing, they invited him to the force’s training academy. In 1992, he became a sworn police officer with LAPD and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department.

Musician-turned-EMT Bobby Sherman posing next to a defibrillator | Source: Getty Images

The singer-turned-actor-turned-EMT found immense gratification in his role of saving lives, extending beyond merely providing medical care. He even had the experience of delivering five babies in the field, which he described as “tremendously rewarding.”

A Second Chance at Love and Living His Best Life

After divorcing his first wife in 1979, Sherman didn’t appear to be in a hurry to seek love again. Instead, he seemed to concentrate on his newfound career in emergency medicine.

However, in 1998, after a 25-year hiatus, fans eagerly gathered to witness him in concert as part of “The Teen Idol Tour,” sharing the stage with Peter Noone and former Monkees TV co-stars Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones.

He concluded his solo performances with a final show in Lincoln, Rhode Island, on August 25, 2001. Nine years later, love found him once more, and he tied the knot with his second wife, Brigitte Poublon, on July 18, 2010, in Las Vegas.

Singer Bobby Sherman and his wife, Brigitte Sherman, at Montage Beverly Hills on December 19, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images

With Poublon, Sherman established the Bobby Sherman Volunteer EMT Foundation, which organizes medical services at various charity and community events in Southern California.

Despite choosing a different career path, Sherman remains grateful for the fans who adored him and allowed him to carry the title of “teen idol” for as long as he did. He shared:

“I made a decision to give myself a break and do stuff I wanted to do. Being a teen idol afforded me so many different things in my life. God bless the fans. They made me a teen idol, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

After many years of transitioning through various career paths, Bobby Sherman continues to receive hundreds of fan letters. The “Happiness Is” singer, who is on the brink of turning 80, relishes in a serene life with his wife and frequently anticipates visits from his two sons and six grandchildren.

The month of July holds numerous celebrations for Sherman and his wife. Not only are the couple’s birthdays within a week of each other, but Father’s Day is also observed in the same month, making it a time filled with meaningful and joyful events for them to eagerly anticipate.

The couple is also enthusiastic about holidays, and based on their foundation’s Instagram page, they frequently commemorate Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and New Year’s festivities.

They observed Easter in Ghana as part of their foundation’s outreach program. Apart from attending concerts together, Sherman occasionally has the opportunity to perform during the foundation’s annual Christmas Gala and Fundraiser.