Tiger Beat - March 1969

The Bobby Sherman Story - Chapter 1

THE DEATH OF HIS BEST FRIEND - Here's what you've been waiting for. All the most intimate facts about the grooviest guy on TV. Read on and find out just what makes him great!

I was only five when it happened. Frank had been my only friend since way back when I was very little. You see, because my sister was eight years older than me, it was almost like being an only child and when you're alone most of the time, you get to be quite a loner. Most of my first memories are just about being alone. Not lonely, but alone. There weren't any kids around my neighborhood that were my own age. And I was pretty small for my age, so practically none of the kids wanted to play with me, anyway.

Most of the time I just made up little games with myself to keep busy, but this got pretty tiring after a while. I can remember sitting alone on the front porch of my house looking down the street and watching the other kids play. Their voices sounded so happy and they were having such a good time that I made up my mind, then and there, that I would have to do something. It couldn't be play with the kids, because they didn't want me and I knew it. It had to be something else...some special thing. And one night while I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, it came to me.

MAKE BELIEVE FRIEND - Since I couldn't have real friends of my own, I'd just have to make up a friend...a very special friend. And I did. I called him Frank and he was just my size. He liked me a lot, and I sort of liked him, too, but I made believe he liked me more than I liked him and so it was sort of a good deal for him to get to play with me. Frank was my invisible friend for years to come.

I used to talk with him all the time and he'd talk back, but he'd only say things that I wanted him to say like, "Hey, Bobby, let's go out in the back yard and ride in your jeep."

I'd say, "No, Frank. That's my jeep. You ride in your own wagon." Sometimes we'd argue (all in fun) back and forth for hours and I'd always win. I'd get to be the big man over everything

'LONG' ADVENTUROUS WALKS - One of the nicest things I can remember about my times with Frank is when we would take long walks together. It was always such an adventure, because we'd never know what exciting things we would find. Remember, though, I was under five years old at the time, so long walks to me meant my mother gave me permission to walk down to the corner candy store just one block from our house. My mother and I would go for walks sometimes, but it was never the same as when Frank and I got to go all by ourselves.

It's funny, but it would take a long, long time for us to reach the candy store. We'd always find a stray puppy to play with or an ant hill to watch or some distraction that was just fascinating to us. What was especially nice was that Frank was always just as excited about things as I was.

Eventually, we'd make it to the candy store and wind up spending even more time there. We'd look into the cases and cases of colorful candies and I think we'd look over every piece before we'd pick something out. Some of the time we'd just go to look and put our noses up against the glass in envy of the other children buying little bags of candy, but every once in awhile, when I was very good at home, like when I'd help my mother sweep or put my toys away in my toy chest, then she would give me two pennies for candy.

SHARING WITH FRANK - Naturally, I'd share one of my pennies with Frank.

"Here, Frank, here's your penny. You can buy anything you want with it at the candy store," I'd tell him.

"Thanks, Bobby, I think I want some jelly beans today, but I'm not sure, so I'll look while you do."

I never quite had my mind made up beforehand, so from jar to jar we'd go looking over every piece until we were sure. Mind you, I'd never actually talk to Frank in front of anyone. When we'd get inside the candy store, I'd just pretend that Frank and I were talking things over. When Frank had "told" me what he wanted, and I had made my choice, I'd buy the candy for both of us and then skip off down the street until I was all alone. Then I'd tell Frank it was okay now, we could talk again, and I'd start to eat my candy.

"You know, Bobby, all of a sudden I don't feel hungry anymore. Why don't you eat my candy for me. Will you?" Frank would say.

"Okay, Frank, and thanks, buddy."

You know, Frank was always like that. While no other kids cared about me, Frank liked me no matter what and I liked him. I guess that's why I confided all my secrets to Frank. I'd always tell him exactly how I felt all the time and I even told him where I kept my Secret Box and what I had inside it.

TREASURES OF MY SECRET BOX - My parents didn't even know about my Secret Box. This was an old shoe box that I had sneaked from my room and I kept it hidden behind a wide board in the back part of our garage. In it I'd keep my very private and treasured possessions. What were they? Oh, my one big clear blue marble, little pieces of wire, and a few nails, and a dime - all that I found when Frank and I would take our walks. Actually, there was nothing of value or even anything that might be used, but to me they were the most important things in the world. They were even more important than the toys Santa Claus brought me, because these were the things that I had found all by myself and only Frank and I knew about them.

Actually, my parents knew about Frank and sometimes that would be a touchy subject. I realize now how they felt about my invisible friend, but at the time I was always afraid that they wouldn't like my friend. Really, they had mixed emotions about the whole thing. On one hand they thought it was wonderful that I had such a vivid imagination to actually invent a friend, because they were sorry I didn't have any friends my own age. But on the other hand, they always wondered when my pretending would end and IF it would end.

FRANK WAS SICK TOO - Sometimes they were glad that there was a Frank. When I would come down with a cold, that's when they really appreciated my friend. Most children are pretty restless when they're young and they have to stay in bed. But I never complained, because I never felt like I was alone. In my mind, when I'd come down with a cold or something, so would Frank. He'd catch it from me. So we'd play games and the hours would just seem to drift away and before I knew it I was all well and I could go outside and play again.

Losing Frank was both a sad and a happy time for me. How did I lose Frank? Well, one day he just went away. It was about the time I began kindergarten. There I met some wonderful boys and girls just my own age and they didn't treat me like the older kids used to. They liked me and always wanted to play with me because I would teach them how to play games they'd never played before - games that I had made up while playing with Frank.

When I would be alone, I'd think about Frank and all the fun we had together and I would be tinged with a sadness, but it wouldn't last long, because now my time after school was filled with wonderful hours playing with my new friends, my real friends. When I think about it, even today, I think of Frank as if he were real and can honestly say he was one of the best friends I ever had.