Teen Pin-Ups - August 1970

Bobby made a bad mistake!  Will it change your mind about him when you read why. . .

Bobby Begs:
After What I Did, Please Don't Hate Me!

Everyone said he had a beautiful smile, that there was simply no doubt about it.  But Bobby Sherman wasn't smiling.  He was sitting quietly, his arms resting on the arms of the chair, his legs crossed casually, his eyes looking straight ahead into the blankness of the room he was sitting in.

There was a lot of activity going on around him.  In the street, cars were whizzing through the streets, honking their horns or screeching their tires.   People were busy going places, doing things alone or in groups.  Even in the building Bobby was sitting in, there was some activity.  But it wasn't coming from him.  He was just sitting there.

Just sitting and feeling sorry for himself.  He wasn't smiling because he didn't think there was anything much to smile about.  And he wasn't going anywhere because, frankly, he didn't think he had anyplace very important to go.

It had finally "sunk into his head" that "Here Come the Brides" had been cancelled.  When he'd first been told the news, he was in the middle of a small string of personal appearances on the East Coast.  He was happy, caught up in things.  The cancellation didn't seem like the end of the world because there were still records and personal appearances and concert tours and other things.   He couldn't have expected "Brides"  to stay on the air forever. . .he knew someday it would have to be cancelled.  The fact that that day arrived sooner than he'd hoped didn't mean the world was coming to an end.  There were still a lot of things to look forward to.

That's what Bobby thought at first.  But then he got back to California, back to his friends, his family and his associates.  They all made it their business to smile and joke and keep Bobby from being depressed. . .and they did that job very well.  But sometimes Bobby would notice a sadness in their eyes.   Nobody ever said "poor Bobby". . .but nobody ever had to.  Despite all the smiles and the happiness, Bobby knew the people he cared for were concerned about him.  And that made Bobby feel concerned, too.

Bobby didn't have a whole lot of time to brood, though.  He'd planned, even before "Brides" was cancelled, to take off on a concert tour as soon as shooting for the series was finished for the season.  So there were those details to take care of, which took up a lot of his time.

But there were some moments Bobby had all to himself.  And it was during those moments that Bobby thought about what had happened and what it would mean to him in the future.

Bobby knew exactly what it was like to have a show cancelled.  It had happened to him before, with "Shindig", a variety show featuring big-name acts and regulars, Bobby among them.  "Shindig" had really made him a star. . .but when it went off the air, his stardom went with it.

For two years, Bobby struggled to make a name for himself again.  He recorded, but nothing happened.  He talked to people, but nothing came of it.   He tried, but he got nowhere.  It wasn't until he won the part of Jeremy on "Brides" that he found success again.  And now he was going to lose the show!

Did that mean he'd lose the success?  Did that mean the whole awful thing was going to happen to him all over again?  Was he through - for the second time?

More than anything, Bobby loves show business.  He loves the thrill of getting up on a stage and singing to a live audience that responds.  He loves the idea of being able to move people to laugh or cry or feel something when he's acting on the TV screen in front of them.  He loves the idea of working, of doing things, of doing the best he can.  So it wasn't the loss of money or the loss of fame Bobby was concerned about. . .it was the loss of something much more precious to him.

Bobby knew that being on TV every week was very important to his success.   Fans knew just where they could find him. . .and if they wanted to see him every week, it was an easy to do as turning the knob of their television set.  But what would happen in September, when "Brides" reruns went off and the new shows came on.  They couldn't see and hear Bobby every week then.  They couldn't see him at all, in fact, unless he made a guest appearance on TV or made a personal appearance in their town (and he couldn't do that every six seconds).

Exactly what would happen?  Bobby just didn't know.  And that was the terrible thing.

"I must have really been down", he said, "to have doubted my fans.  I should have known they'd be right there, even when everything was falling apart.  They're really great - all of them.  And I hope they can forgive me for doubting them - even for a second".

There's no doubt in Bobby's mind anymore.  Not after he started those personal appearance he was getting ready for when "Brides" was cancelled and saw exactly how his fans felt.  At every city, during every concert, Bobby was absolutely overwhelmed with the love that poured out of the audience.  Everyone there knew his show was going off the air - but that didn't turn off what they felt for him.  They loved him - maybe even more than ever!

It was human for Bobby to doubt.  But it's human for you to forgive.   Won't you?