Teen Pin-Ups - October 1970

Bobby Breaks Down

Bobby's in trouble!  Bobby's in danger!  What scary thing is happening to him, and what can he do to stop it? 

Like any big star, Bobby Sherman is constantly on the go.  Every week is filled with business appointments, rehearsals, recording dates and personal appearances.   But it's well known in Hollywood that Bobby works much harder than usual, even for a top star.  Bobby spends an average of twelve to fourteen hours a day at his work.   And he's often been known to turn down invitations to fabulous parties all his friends are going to just because he doesn't have time for them.

That's one of the things Bobby's friends admire most about him, in fact - his amazing energy and the way he gets things done.  "He wears me out," Bridget Hanley said once.

But his friends worry about him, too.  Sometimes it just seems to them that Bobby Sherman works too hard for his own good.  He hardly has any time of his own, because so much of his time is devoted to his career.  But what really disturbs Bobby's friends is the thought that someday he might not be able to keep up the pace of his work.   If he keeps working as hard as he is right now, they think, he might just break down under the strain!

So people are constantly advising Bobby to slow down and relax, to take more time off from his busy life.

What does Bobby have to say to all this?  Well, he admits he does work hard, maybe harder than most people he knows.

"But I enjoy it" he says.  Sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day and that I had more time to just goof off.  But I love my work.  I want to become the best singer and actor I can.  And that takes time."

Bobby plans each day very carefully to make the best use of his time.  He gets up early, usually by 7:30 at the latest.  Sometimes he's up by 6:00 or 6:30 to see the sun rise.  Then after showering and dressing, he's ready for breakfast.  Bobby always tries to eat a hearty breakfast - bacon, eggs, juice, toast and milk - in order to have enough energy to do all the things he has to do.

After breakfast, Bobby takes a few minutes to read the newspaper and magazines.   He believes it's very important to keep up with what's going on in the world.   Sometimes he watches the morning news on television, too.  And if he has a few extra minutes, he'll read and answer a few of his fan letters.

By 9:00 Bobby's ready to start his actual work day.  Since he plays ten different musical instruments, he doesn't have time to practice them all every day.  But he does try to get in as much time as he can.  But often Bobby has to cut short his at-home work because of a business appointment.  He might be meeting a magazine photographer at 10:00 or 10:30, for instance.  Then, later on in the morning, there's bound to be more business to take care of.  He'll often spend an hour or two on the telephone, making plans for recording sessions, personal appearances and concerts.

But Bobby has to take care of some of his business in person.  So he might meet his manager for lunch to iron out last-minute details of an appearance or something of that sort.  Sometimes, if Bobby doesn't have a business lunch, he'll eat with one of his friends.  He has many close friends, and one reason he wishes he had more time to himself is that right now he can't see them as often as he'd like.

After lunch, Bobby usually has still another appointment.  It might be with a photographer from his record company or a television producer, for instance.  Or it might be for an interview.  When it's over he returns home to work in his own recording studio.  Bobby spends the rest of the afternoon there, working on arrangements, making tapes, listening, criticizing himself, doing it again.  He really loves this part of the day, especially those moments when he finds the really "right" way to do a song.

If Bobby has a concert or appearance in the evening, he usually has an early dinner about 6:00.  Sometimes he takes a long walk just before dinner to get some fresh air.   Bobby usually eats very lightly before performing, because he's a little bit nervous and doesn't have his usual healthy appetite.

After dinner, he changes into whatever he'll be wearing that evening.  It could be anything from a suit to bell bottom jeans and a shirt, depending on the occasion.   Bobby leaves his house early to allow plenty of time to get wherever he's going.   He knows it can take a long time to get through Los Angeles traffic.  Once at the hall or stadium, Bobby makes it a point to stop and say hello to other acts that might be appearing with him.  He enjoys listening to other musicians almost as much as he likes singing himself, so he usually stays for the whole concert.

Bobby and his friends often end an evening like this with a late-night snack at a cozy restaurant.  Bobby would like to stay talking with them for hours, but he can't because he has another busy day tomorrow.  And his friends understand.  As much as they like to spend more time with him, they know how busy his life is these days.

With a schedule like that it's no wonder Bobby runs the risk of a breakdown.  With business appointments, recording dates, photographic sessions and hours of practice filling his day, he hardly has a chance to just stop and catch his breath.

But luckily, Bobby can sort-of tell when he's trying to do more work than he can handle.  If he starts feeling tired and doesn't have much energy, he'll stop everything and rest for a day or two.  And now and then Bobby forces himself to take a vacation - to just relax and have fun and spend a lot of time with his friends.  He knows it's important to take care of himself.  And if someone tells him he's likely to have a break-down if he keeps working so hard, Bobby just smiles.  He knows that work doesn't break him down - it just builds him up!