TV Time and Channel September 18-24, 1971
Bobby Sherman May Sing For His Supper, But He Talks His Way Through Breakfast
For a youngster who became the idol of junior-miss America playing the role of Jeremy, the bashful, stammering youth in "HERE COME THE BRIDES," Bobby Sherman is startlingly verbal. Like Lewis Carroll's walrus, he talks of many things.
He speaks softly, but with genuine humor and disarming candor, about himself, his new television series, his role as a teenagers' folk hero, his concert appearances, his publicity, his hobbies and his hopes for the future.
His personal demeanor does not differ much from his public personality. He smiles a lot; wears plain-colored, knit slacks that flare at the bottom and paisley patterned shirts open halfway down his chest. On his fingers are three hammered silver rings. He is with it, but hardly the stereotype of the flamboyant, popular rock singer.
QUICK TRIP EAST - Bobby was on a quick visit to the East Coast after having completed taping of nine episodes of "GETTING TOGETHER," his new ABC-TV series, which makes its debut Saturday, Sept. 18 (8-8:30 p.m.)
The local station public relations man made the introductions. He displayed just enough charm and enthusiasm to warrant his title without overdoing things.
The personal manager, adorned with not-quite-scraggly beard, stood with arms folded, seemingly ready to shake hands only under duress. He displayed just enough warmth to verify the existence of his vital signs.
The pretty young lady from Screen Gems poured coffee. She displayed just enough leg descending from hot pants to counter-balance the prevailing austerity.
Bobby Sherman disdained the coffee. Breakfast is not his thing. Surprisingly, conversation is, even at 9 a.m.
THINKS SHOW IS "HIP" - Now that nine shows are "in the can," he told a visitor, he feels a bit more secure about doing a situation comedy.
"I was uncertain at first," he said. "I would have preferred a straight drama," but, as things progressed, he claimed, he became more enthusiastic. The show is "more hip" than he had anticipated. "It isn't the standard, saccharine kind of situation comedy."
Right now, Bobby is back in Hollywood where he started taping six more episodes before doctors recommended a complete rest. When he has recovered from a case of extreme exhaustion and if the show is a success, another nine will be taped. The total of 24 is a departure from the conventional 26, but as Bobby put it, "instead of summer reruns, we may do a variety show as our own summer replacement."
Bobby has no illusions about riding his present crest of popularity forever. But, he does not accept the theory of David Cassidy, the teeny boppers' pet of "THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY," that two years on top is about all a young star can expect.
"Knowing David as I do," he said, "I can understand his saying that, but I think he will last longer." As supportive evidence he cited his own experience, dating back to "SHINDIG," a series in which he was featured in 1964. "Each new show has given my career a boost," he said, adding that each one had come along at the right time. Although "SHINDIG" was not an enduring success, it was followed by recording contracts, "HERE COME THE BRIDES" and concert dates. Then, again at the right moment, Bobby has "GETTING TOGETHER," in which he plays the role of a talented composer who can't write lyrics, but who has a zany, tone-deaf sidekick (played by Wes Stern), who is a wizard with words. "I guess I could last about one full year as a star without a show," he concluded.
Hopefully, Bobby said, "GETTING TOGETHER" will broaden his audience by appealing to the entire family, "not just the kids." His concerts (he plays one almost every weekend), he added, seem to draw youngsters from three to 19 years old, skip the college generation and attract the parents of the younger people.
PREFERS CONCERTS-IN-ROUND - He prefers concerts-in-the-round to theater appearances. "I can get to the people," he said. "They put me there. God bless the kids! They want to wave, say hello, scream, touch me. They can hear me sing when they are home playing records."
Sherman's concerts, he insists, are "clean." There are no drugs and no audience problems. His only concern is that someone might be hurt trying to reach him. "If one kid falls, there could be a stampede." This is where the police come in; not to protect Bobby, but to save the youngsters from injury. Frequently, he claims, the police leave their weapons behind, and he has been told by some policemen that his concerts are the easiest of all to handle. "The only trouble is," he complained, "that I get kissed a lot."
Despite the dubious inconvenience of all the osculatory activity, Bobby enjoys playing to a live audience, to which he can relate. (What is his feeling after a successful concert? "Complete exhaustion," he said with a grin).
Bobby's TV specials have been taped before live audiences (some of whom did not want to go home after the taping), but his guest appearances on other shows have not involved studio audiences. For these, he tries to recall mentally his concert idolators. For "GETTING TOGETHER," Bobby has to relate to members of the cast, and is conscious of some constrictions resulting from the physical limitations of the TV screen. However, since the character he plays is not a singer, the problems of movement and relating are not acute.
DOES "VOICE OVER" MUSIC - In "GETTING TOGETHER," Bobby does do some "voice over" singing of songs designed to fit the themes of certain episodes. But the music he sings is not his own despite the fact that he has written quite a few of the songs which have been included in his most successful LP albums. He claims that the shooting schedule keeps him too busy for composing. "I may think of a line now and then, but there is no time to put it together."
When Bobby Sherman was eight years old, he started fiddling around with musical instruments. Presently, he plays 10 instruments according to his own count; 13 according to network publicity handouts ("If you want to count the three-string guitar as a separate instrument and that sort of thing, there is no discrepancy"). In high school, he played in the marching band and in a local dance band, among those members he was the only one who could carry a tune vocally. Consequently, he became the singer.
After a brief whirl as an engineering student at a California junior college, Bobby set his sights on an acting career, took drama lessons and did guest bits in a number of TV series. Then, one night a date took him to a party at the home of actor Sal Mineo. The band at the party included several of his high school musical colleagues, who persuaded Bobby to sing a few songs. Among those whom he impressed with his vocal ability were Mineo and party guests Roddy MacDowall, Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood. Their enthusiasm led to a recording contact and an invitation from producer Jack Good to appear in "SHINDIG."
"I accepted the invitation," Bobby said dryly.
FOOT ON THE LADDER - After "SHINDIG," there were more records, "HERE COME THE BRIDES," concerts, TV specials, "GETTING TOGETHER," a Rolls Royce and a Hollywood home large enough to accommodate a 16-track stereo recording studio, of which he is immensely proud, and in which he sometimes plays all the instrumentals for his own recordings, blends them into a single track, and then dubs in his own vocal.
"Doesn't this activity lead to problems with musicians unions?"
"No, it doesn't. First of all, I carry a union card myself, so, if I play 20 instruments, I get paid 20 times or a studio musician will be paid for every instrument I play. I think that's the way it's done most of the time, but I'm not sure. All I know is that every now and then a studio musician will thank me for a check he has gotten."
OBJECTS TO FAN MAGAZINES - Success has, naturally, led to an awesome amount of publicity, not all of which pleases Bobby. "I don't object to the stuff in the teen-age magazines, but some of the adult fan magazine stuff is just plain sensationalizing." At this point, Bobby was shown a magazine which on one page had him virtually married to an unknown blonde beauty whom, it said, he has shielded from the public and on another page featured a story to the effect that he and David Cassidy are rivals for the affections of pretty Susan Dey of "THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY" cast.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Bobby said. "Incidentally, neither one is true."
How does the young (he is somewhere between 25 and 28, depending on the arithmetic of the biographer involved) star relax?
"With film and sound." He monkeys around in his recording studio and is an avid camera bug who takes a lot of movie film for experimental purposes ("I have one of the best libraries of film of milk trucks and trash cans you can find in Hollywood").
Bobby's taste in music for listening depends on his mood at any given moment. He may listen to one or two songs from one artist's album, and then switch to another as his mood changes. Mostly, he listens to pop music. He can enjoy classical things, but makes no pretense at being expert in the field.
UNCERTAIN ABOUT FINANCES - What would happen to Bobby Sherman if his popularity should vanish tomorrow? Is he financially secure?
"I really don't know. I've become sort of numb to the financial aspects of it all. At first, as a kid, I was sort of overwhelmed by it all, but somewhere along the way--I don't know just when--I woke up. The important thing is to have knowledgeable people to handle the money. In all of Hollywood, there are probably a handful of people who can do this," he said looking at the manager, still standing on the other side of the room with arms folded. "I don't know if I have security or not," he continued. "I have to leave that to others."
The manager did not react.
One recent evidence that Bobby's finances are in decent shape is his establishment of the Bobby Sherman Cancer Research Fund, money from which will go to hospitals where research is directed to cancer among young people.
Where does Bobby see his future?
"In a little sanitarium in Switzerland," was the quick initial response, followed by a brief pause. Then: "I don't know. I'm really not an accomplished musician or an accomplished actor. I carry this (holds up a director's view finder) around as a sort of prop. I use it all the time. I would like to direct. I know sound and I know a little about film. I'd like to learn the other things" that go with directing.
The unobtrusive public relations man harrumphed the end of the interview.
"Have you always had this problem with articulacy?" was the final question.
"Well," Bobby said with a smile, "I use my hands a lot."