Flip - February 1971 (typed by Cindy M.)

The Bobby Sherman I Knew! (Part 2)
As told to Lindy Franklin

"I was always fascinated at rehearsals because Bobby always wore black." Jimmy continued. "Black pants, black shirts. Black, of course always makes you look slimmer, but Bobby certainly didn't need to look slimmer! It also makes you look taller on TV, so he may have done it for that purpose.

"Aside from that Bobby had another fetish - one that I shared with him! We were both freaks about our hair! We used to joke with each other about who took longer to get his hair all fixed up for TV."

"Another thing Bobby has always grooved on are Rolls Royces. When he first started on ‘Shindig', he was making $300 a week. He couldn't afford a Rolls Royce of his own, so he used to borrow Sal Mineo's Rolls and drive around in it. It's certainly no surprise to me that now he can afford one, he's bought himself his own Rolls Royce.

FABULOUS MRS. SHERMAN - "I've only seen Bobby's parents three or four times, but I'm really awfully fond of them. They're fantastic people and I'm sure a very good reason for Bobby's success. I'll never forget the day Bobby and I flew in to Los Angeles from some travels, and his mother picked us up. The whole trip, from the airport to my house, where they dropped me off, Bobby's mother was telling him which press agent to call for which interview for which magazine and analyzing the whole situation. One of the most efficient business conferences I've ever overheard was between Bobby and his mother on the way to taking me home! No manager could have been more thorough than Mrs. Sherman!"

TRIES FOR A HIT - Bobby was recording even when he was on "Shindig." He had six to eight singles but never made a hit record. As Jimmy put it, "Here Bobby was on network television every week, singing at least two or three songs, he had thousands of fans all over the country, and all his records were bombs! So I was amazed when two or three years passed and he was on this western ("Here Come the Brides") which had nothing at all to do with music. And I kept thinking to myself, isn't it funny Bobby Sherman had to become a cowboy to get a hit record!

"I do think Bobby is singing better now, and I think it's simply a case of maturity and experience. I know another reason is because he's getting simply great material and has a very talented producer, Jackie Mills, who knows how to make a good record.

BOBBY LOVES FANS - "I just recently visited Bobby when he guest starred on the Everly Brothers Show. Phil Everly is one of my best friends. But this was the first time in a long time that Bobby and I had seen one another and we had quite a pleasant reunion.

"I noticed some things he did, too, like during the finale of that particular show. All the guests, Melanie, Tina Turner and, of course, Bobby, along with the Everly Brothers, were on the stage with the entire audience surrounding them. Bobby walked over to the edge of the stage and started holding hands with the girls. And he was the only one who did that. So I'd say, Bobby is very much aware of the importance of his fans, and he‘s always gone out of his way for them. Fans are the most important part of his career. They don't just come and go. You can hire and fire managers, but your fans are always there. So, Bobby is always very kind to his fan, and I'm sure it's always a sincere gesture."

A LOOK AT JIMMY - Jimmy O'Neil was only fifteen when he began his radio career in Oklahoma City. By the time he was seventeen, he had the number one show there. He then spent a year in Pittsburgh and was on KRLA in Hollywood by the time he was nineteen. Looking back, Jimmy feels that "the greatest joy that has come from my career has been having the opportunity and privilege of meeting the most talented people in the music business from all over the world."

Some of the people Jimmy has worked with are Peter and Gordon, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. And, of course, Bobby Sherman.