Modern Movies - September 1970 (typed by Gale)

I'm Not Afraid to Marry a Fan!

Police stood by, trying their best to hold back the crowd. As almost deafening screams and shouts filled the air, the officers looked toward each other with worried glances, then to the sides of the hall where nurses were waiting to handle any medical emergencies that might come up.

If you guessed "a campus riot" as the scene, you're wrong - it was one of Bobby Sherman's most recent concerts. Everywhere Bobby goes, his fans turn out in staggering numbers. At a recent concert in Anaheim, California, over 18,000 of them had to be turned away.

And Bobby admits that sometimes those who do manage to get tickets to see him are just a bit over-zealous in their enthusiasm.

"I love to get out and meet my fans," he admits, "but it has been a problem, because sometimes people do get hurt when it's too crowded and people are pushed or fall down. This worries me considerably.

"I don't worry about myself too much, because I know that no one is trying to hurt me. And usually the security guards who are around are only there to see that no one gets accidentally hurt in the crowd. This is a greater problem in concert halls because of the confined space."

By becoming America's number one teen idol, Bobby has had to accept having his microphone turned up full blast - and singing while dodging the many love-gifts his fans throw on stage.

Coming in contact with so many young girls certainly hasn't turned Bobby off to women in his personal life. In fact, he is so fond of his fans that he says it's entirely possible that he might marry one some day!

"Yes!" Bobby says. "After all, when you meet someone and fall in love, and decide that you want to marry, does it matter if she is a fan, an older or 'more' mature' woman as you might say, or whatever?.

"You meet and like or love people because of who they are. And I often go out with my fans."

For the moment, Bobby has no definite plans about marriage. There are several girls in his life - including Patti, who some gossips have hinted was "secretly engaged" to Bobby.

Bobby says that there's no one type of girl for him - at least not one physical type. In talking about his own ideal "little woman", Bobby has a special list of qualities.

"There's no one best way for her to look; it's more what's inside a person." He says. "I would like someone who can share my enthusiasm for things, who has lots of energy and likes to do all kinds of different things. A good sense of humor is very important.

"I'd like someone who is honest, and genuinely interested in me as a person. Someone who likes music, and animals - somebody who is just nice and kind and likes to talk. And somebody who is affectionate."

There are millions of girls who would be only too glad to try out for the number one slot in Bobby's life, but he admits that the girl who wins his love will have to be willing to share the demands of his career.

"I'm just one of those people who love to be busy," he explains. "Acting, recording, personal appearances - these are all things I love to do. Traveling on the road is difficult, but it's worth it when I get up on stage and perform for everyone. I love performing.

Bobby knows that the coming years will bring many changes, both in his personal life and his career.

"Well," he says, "everyone likes to think that they have planned ahead for the possibilities the future may hold. I certainly hope to move forward with my acting. I hope to continue recording, too. I would be happy singing, song-writing, producing other people on records - all things I love to do.

"I consider my recording my hobby as my work, and I have built a small recording studio in my parent's home in Van Nuys.

"Also, I guess I would hope that some of my fans would stick with me through any transitions I might make in the future, and be able to dig what I'm doing at that time."

Now that Here Come The Brides has gone off the air, many Bobby Sherman fans are complaining about not being able to see their favorite star each week. But there may be hope. Bobby has a very positive attitude about the possibility of another series.

"Yes, I'd like to do one," he says, "I'm sort of sad about Brides being dropped, and I'll miss going to the studio every day and seeing all the great people who were associated with the show.

"But in another way, it will be groovy - because it will give everyone (cast, crew and producers) an opportunity to do some new and different things.

Among Bobby's immediate plans are recording - more of those concerts!

"I'll be doing concert tours all over the country," he says, "And there are a couple of television and movie things coming up."

Bobby isn't very specific about what those "things" are, but a little bit of MODERN MOVIES' investigating revealed some clues. You can expect Bobby to announce a signed movie contract soon, with a film to begin in just a few months. There's another deal for a series of TV specials coming up.

Like everything else, a career as successful as Bobby Sherman's has its demands. He admits that he has paid a price for success - particularly in the area of privacy.

"It's difficult sometimes to lead a public life, but my fans have been great to me, and so have most of the magazines."

Sometimes, though stories upset him - such as the one which reported that he had only a few months left to live.

Bobby has learned to live with things that many people would find hard to take. Fans knocking on his parent's door in the hopes of finding him, screaming crowds almost "attacking" him at his concerts, bands of fans making it almost impossible for him to move in public - Bobby regards these things as part of the game. Instead of being angry with his ardent followers, he's thankful he has them.

The life that Bobby Sherman lives is full and successful. With a constant schedule of touring and recording, he has little time for self-examination, to think about what may be missing in his busy world. The only thing Bobby would someday want to add to his life is a person to share it with. He's confident that the time will come, and when it does, the woman he loves will learn, as he has, that the personal rewards and satisfaction of his career are worth the loss of privacy that comes along with it.

"Nobody every really gets used to their loss of privacy," says Bobby, "And as far as marriage goes - well, I would help my wife in every way possible and hope that she would become accustomed to the attention.

"And, perhaps, even learn to enjoy some of the fun of it."