When my estranged father, who left 20 years ago, called from his deathbed, I was torn between anger and curiosity. His final wish was something I never expected, and what he revealed about his disappearance shattered everything I thought I knew.
I was getting ready for bed when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. The number was unfamiliar, so I let it go to voicemail. Not even a minute later, a text came through: “ALICE, THIS IS YOUR DAD. PLEASE CALL, I AM IN THE HOSPITAL.”
A woman in her bedroom at night, looking at her phone | Source: Midjourney
My heart stopped. Dad? After twenty years? I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the message. Part of me wanted to delete it and forget, but curiosity won. I called the number back.
“Hello?” The voice was weak, barely audible.
“Dad?”
“Alice, it’s me. I… I don’t have much time.”
“Why are you calling now?” My voice was harsher than I intended.
“I need to explain… to ask something of you. But please, don’t tell your mother.”
Doctors standing beside a hospital bed, looking concerned | Source: Pexels
There it was, the same secrecy that defined my childhood. “What do you want?”
He took a shaky breath. “I left because your grandfather, Harold, paid me to disappear. He hated me, thought I was a failure. He found someone else for your mom, someone better.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Grandpa? He did that?”
“Yes. I was struggling back then. Addictions, bad decisions. Your grandfather saw a chance to get rid of me, and I took the money.”
A sick-looking man lying in bed | Source: Pexels
“So you just left us for money?” Anger bubbled up.
“I know it sounds awful. But I invested that money, built a business. It was all for you, Alice. To secure your future.”
“Why didn’t you ever come back?”
“Part of the deal. I couldn’t approach you or your mom. But I was there, watching. I saw your graduation, your volleyball games. I was always there, just… from a distance.”
I felt like my world was tilting. “Why didn’t Mom ever tell me?”
An old man in a hospital bed talking on a cell phone | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t want you to hate him. Or maybe she thought she was protecting you.”
“What do you want now?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“I need to see you, Alice. One last time before I go. I’m at St. Mary’s Hospital.”
I didn’t know what to say. Could I face him after everything?
“Please, Alice. It’s my dying wish.”
The exterior of a hospital building at night | Source: Midjourney
The line went silent, and I sat there, the phone still in my hand, my thoughts tumbling. Should I go? What would I even say to him? I needed to think, but there was no time. He was dying.
The next morning, I called in sick to work and sat in my kitchen, staring at my coffee. Should I tell Mom? But he’d asked me not to.
I called my best friend, Jen. “Hey, can we talk?”
“Of course. What’s up?”
A woman talking on a cell phone | Source: Pexels
“It’s… it’s my dad. He called last night.”
“Your dad? The one who left?”
“Yeah. He’s dying, and he wants to see me.”
“Wow. How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know. Angry, confused. He told me things, Jen. About my Grandpa.”
“Like what?”
“That my grandfather paid him to leave. He said he was there at my graduation, my games. But he couldn’t approach us.”
“That’s insane. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. He wants me to visit him, but I’m not sure I can.”
A woman in conversation on a cell phone | Source: Pexels
Jen was silent for a moment. “Maybe you should go. Get some answers. Closure.”
“I guess. But I don’t know if I’m ready to face him.”
“Take your time, but don’t take too long. If he’s dying…”
“I know. Thanks, Jen.”
After hanging up, I sat back, deep in thought. Jen was right. Maybe I did need closure. I couldn’t keep living with these unanswered questions. And if he really was dying… I had to see him.
A woman driving a car | Source: Pexels
I decided to go to the hospital. As I drove, memories of my childhood flashed through my mind. The good times before he left, the confusion and pain afterward. The way Mom never spoke about him, the unanswered questions that haunted me.
I walked into the hospital room, feeling the weight of years and unanswered questions pressing down on me. The beeping machines filled the stark room with an unsettling rhythm. My dad lay in the bed, looking more frail than I had ever imagined. His eyes lit up when he saw me, a weak smile forming on his lips.
An old man sitting up in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney
“Alice,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
“Hi, Dad.” I stood at the foot of the bed, not sure what to say. Anger and confusion swirled inside me, but seeing him like this, so vulnerable, made it hard to voice them.
“You came,” he said, relief evident in his eyes.
“I had to. I needed to understand why.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry for everything.” He reached out a trembling hand, and I took it, feeling the cold, fragile skin.
A young woman close to an old man in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney
“Why did you do it, Dad? Why did you take Grandpa’s money and leave us?”
He sighed, a deep, rattling sound. “I thought it was the best way to secure a future for you and your mother. I was a mess, Alice. Addicted, broke. Your grandfather offered me a way out, a chance to give you a better life, even if it meant I couldn’t be part of it.”
“Do you know how much that hurt us? How much it hurt me?” Tears welled up in my eyes. “You missed everything, Dad. My graduation, my volleyball games, my entire life.”
A woman with tears in her eyes | Source: Midjourney
“I was there, Alice. Watching from afar. It broke my heart not to be with you, but I thought I was doing the right thing.” He paused, struggling for breath. “I tried to make it right. I invested the money, built something that I hoped would help you.”
“Why didn’t you come back when you were better?”
“I couldn’t. Part of the deal was that I had to stay away. But I wrote to you, Alice. Letters, every year. They’re in a safety deposit box. Here.” He handed me a small key. “After I’m gone, open it. You’ll find proof of everything, and the letters.”
A small key in the palm of a hand | Source: Pexels
I took the key, my fingers trembling. “Why now, Dad? Why tell me all this now?”
“Because I’m dying, and I can’t leave this world without you knowing the truth. I love you, Alice. I’ve always loved you.”
Tears streamed down my face as I gripped his hand. “I needed you, Dad. I needed my father.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. But I hope you’ll understand why I did what I did when you read those letters.”
An apparently comatose figure in a hospital bed | Source: Pexels
We sat in silence, holding hands, the machines’ beeping the only sound in the room. After a while, his breathing became more labored. He squeezed my hand one last time, and then he was gone.
I left the hospital feeling a mix of emotions. Relief, anger, sadness, and a strange sense of closure. The next day, I went to the bank and used the key to open the safety deposit box. Inside, I found stacks of financial documents and a bundle of letters, each one addressed to me, dated over the years.
A corridor of safety deposit boxes | Source: Midjourney
I took the letters home and spent hours reading them. Each one was filled with his regrets, his love, his hopes for my future. He wrote about the business he built, how he watched over me, how proud he was of my achievements.
By the time I finished the last letter, my anger had softened into a deep, aching sadness.
With the financial documents, it was clear that my father had indeed worked hard to secure my future. The money he left behind was substantial, enough to change my life. But it wasn’t just about the money. It was about understanding his choices, his sacrifices, and his love.
A woman takes up a hand-written letter | Source: Pexels
I knew I had to talk to my mom. I needed to know her side of the story. When I confronted her, she looked at me with sad eyes.
“I knew about the offer,” she admitted. “I didn’t stop it because I thought it was best for you too. I thought you deserved a better life than what your father could give you at that time.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“I wanted to protect you from the truth, to let you remember him without bitterness. Maybe I was wrong, but I did what I thought was best.”
An elderly woman looking down thoughtfully | Source: Pexels
Her confession was another piece of the puzzle, helping me to understand the complex web of decisions that shaped my life.
In the end, I decided to use the money to start a scholarship fund in my father’s name. It felt like the right way to honor his memory and his efforts. It was a way to help others, just as he had tried to help me.
As I launched the scholarship, I felt a sense of peace. The past was complicated and painful, but it had brought me to where I was. And now, with the truth out in the open, I could move forward, honoring both my father’s love and my mother’s sacrifices.
A woman making calculations with a pen in hand | Source: Pexels
What would you have done in these circumstances? If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you about an older woman who is embarrassed to tell her son about the new man in her life, but the truth is exposed when she is rushed to the hospital.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
This famous teen heartthrob is now 79 – try not to smile when you see him today.
One of the major musical stars of the 1960s and 1970s was Bobby Sherman. When I think back on it, I can hardly think of a single friend who didn’t at some point develop feelings for him.
Sherman sold millions of records, performed in front of thousands of people, put out several albums, and gained recognition as an actor. But eventually, at the height of his popularity, he made the decision to permanently leave the entertainment industry.
This, however, wasn’t because the 79-year-old thought his abilities had declined in any kind. No, he was fighting for something far more important: the preservation of life.
Everything you need to know about the renowned artist Bobby Sherman is provided here!
Bobby Sherman was raised in Van Nuys, a community next to Los Angeles, after being born in Santa Monica, California, on July 22, 1943.
Bobby Sherman’s childhood
He was reported to have mastered the trumpet by the age of 11, and subsequently the piano, trombone, piano, and of course, the guitar. Sherman went to Birmingham High School. He joined a band there and had a keen interest in singing. He apparently picked up the incredible skill of playing sixteen instruments throughout the years.
Following his high school graduation in 1961, Sherman enrolled in Woodland Hill, California’s Pierce College. A romance there would permanently alter the path of his life.
Sherman met his first lover while pursuing his studies in child psychology at Pierce College. She made the decision to bring him along to the cast party of The Greatest Story Ever Told one evening.
That was when Sherman had began to play music. Many folks in the San Fernando Valley knew he had a good voice because he sang with several bands there. Sherman so seized the chance to showcase his skills when he got to the party.
He subsequently recalled it, saying, “I was always the guy who had the guts to get up and sing in front of people.”
It probably helped a little bit because Bobby had party pals who were on stage with the band. Either way, he stood up in front of the group and sang What I’d Say by Ray Charles.
found during a party in Hollywood
As it was a Hollywood party, a number of entertainment celebrities were present. Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood, and Jane Fonda were a few of them.
They saw his talent after the show, and Mineo made the decision to mentor him.
“It was said by others, ‘Who’s handling you?’” Sherman remarked, “I had no idea what that meant.”
“Well, you know, I was a Van Nuys kid, and I was like, ‘What do they mean, handling me?’” I understood then that they intended representation.
He quickly became acquainted with Hollywood. Bobby Sherman was sent to an audition just three days later by an agent who had been tipped off by a partygoer. Bobby was cast as a featured character in Shindig, a new television series.
Even though Bobby was only in that capacity for two years, it was all he needed to leave his impact. At that point, he had become the national darling, and jobs were popping up out of every nook and cranny.
Sherman had guest appearances on a number of television programs after Shindig was canceled in 1966, including The FBI, Honey West, and The Monkees. Even though he had begun to gain attention in Hollywood, his major break came in 1968.
Bobby Sherman: acting, albums, songs, and music
Sherman spent two full years as the stuttering Jason Bolt in the television series Here Comes the Bridges. At the end of his run, his character stopped having stutters, and the show was eventually canceled.
Sherman discovered how well-liked Jason Bolt was by the public when he made an appearance at a Buffalo telethon. Suddenly, he was more than simply a rising star. Instead, he was now a celebrity.
Sherman told Tulsa World, “The show had just gone on the air, and we didn’t even have any records out yet.”
“Robert Brown, myself, and Greg Morris from Mission: Impossible from Here Come The Brides were requested to participate in the telethon, and things were going great until the fire marshal entered the room and announced, “We have a problem.” You must greet some individuals, so you’d better make your way to the second floor.
“They unlocked this window, and I peered outside, and the exit of this TV station was a sea of faces,” he continued. It was simply amazing. And that’s when I realized something was going on.
For Bobby, the ensuing year was “kind of limbo.” But that’s when he started getting interested in songwriting and experimented with his eight-track recording apparatus.
Bobby went on to become a professional singer, even if his voice wasn’t completely recognized at the time.
Bobby Sherman’s spouse, kids, and family
Sherman’s youthful fan base purchased millions of records between 1969 and 1971, during which time he released hits including Julie, Do Ya Love Me, Easy Come, Easy Go, and Little Woman.
One million copies of four distinct recorded albums and one million copies of six different single recordings were sold by him.
In 1971, he stated, “A song begins with an idea – one line.”I develop that into a full lyric. I then arranged the music to fit it.
Sherman starred in a number of guest roles after his 1970 and 1971 stint on the television show Getting Together, which was a spinoff of The Partridge Family and followed the lives of two songwriters.
Sherman initially married Patti Carnel in 1971, which also happened to coincide with his ascent to stardom. Christopher and Tyler, the couple’s two boys, were born.
Sherman made the decision to construct a scale replica of Disneyland’s Main Street in his garden because he wanted his children to grow up in an amazing environment. It took him almost two and a half years to finish the project, and it apparently cost him about fifteen thousand dollars to create.
The initiative wasn’t well received by everyone; his wife reportedly found the incessant hammering to be bothersome.
“I had no idea what home was,” Sherman said in a People interview. “She even threatened to kill me if I didn’t finish it.”
Bobby’s children served as the model for his new career in addition to inspiring him to construct his own portion of Disneyland.
Bobby rose to prominence on television before celebrities like Shaun Cassidy and even David Cassidy. Eventually, people like Donny Osmond “replaced” him.
But at the height of his popularity, millions of people loved Sherman, who was starring in popular TV shows and putting out hit tunes at the same time. Tiger Beat and Sixteen turned into two of his favorite records.
Sherman clarified that despite living the life of luxury that very few people get to experience, he would typically film five days a week and even have nighttime programs on the weekends. It’s safe to say that the hectic schedule had its effects.
“I didn’t know what home was for three years because it was so hectic,” he said to the Washington Post.
“I had no idea where I was, and I was lost.” I needed constant reminders. To be really honest, though, I had the best experience ever because of the fantastic concerts and amazing fans. Even though it was the classic love-in, I felt like I was totally taken advantage of.
Bobby Sherman gave up music to save people’s lives.
Then, in the middle of his enormous notoriety, Bobby made the abrupt decision to change careers to something completely different but equally significant.
In the end, he made the decision to turn around and give up his career in music and television in an effort to save lives.
Sherman’s former wife Patti was terrified of blood, and he was deeply involved in his children’s upbringing. Accidents happen frequently, as anyone who has reared children will attest, and Christopher and Tyler frequently fell and hurt themselves.
These falls occasionally resulted in minor cuts and scrapes as well as bleeding knees. Sherman made the decision to enroll in certain classes in order to better manage these kinds of circumstances. After taking an introductory course on first aid and CPR, he moved on to volunteer as an emergency medical technician.
“I rescued the life of a small 5-year-old girl on the very first call. Indeed, that is the most amazing feeling, I thought to myself. In an interview from 1994, Bobby recounted.
Sherman completed more training and went on to work for the Los Angeles Police Department as a first aid instructor for officers.
Emergency medical technician Bobby Sherman
Bobby was sworn in as a police officer in 1992 and appointed chief medical training officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. In the field, he gave birth to five children, and in 1994, he bravely faced hardship.
Sherman was awakened by an earthquake at his Encino, California, home on January 17, 1994. Rather than taking cover, he made the decision to hop in his truck and drive directly to the epicenter.
While some needed first aid, others there needed advise. Either way, Bobby’s expertise and presence were required.
Even though Bobby’s profession choice put him in danger and exposed him to many challenging circumstances, at his core he was still an entertainer and had many of the endearing traits from his days in the business. In fact, he ran across a few of his former admirers on the field.
He used to tell a tale about how, as a teen idol, his celebrity followed him around when he went on fire department paramedic rescue calls.
signed letters to patients
Bobby told The Times, “We were working on a bleeding woman who had passed out on one call in Northridge.”
Her spouse was staring at me nonstop. He exclaimed, “Look, honey, it’s Bobby Sherman!” at the end. The woman started as she came to. “Oh great, I must look like a mess,” she exclaimed. She appeared fine, so I reassured her not to worry.
Bobby kept using his improvised studio to record music for movies and TV series over the years. In 1997, he made his final appearance on television when he starred in an episode of Fraiser.
He participated in the “Teen Idol Tour” in the late 1990s with Peter Noone, Davy Jones, and Micky Dolenz from the Monkees. But he then made the decision to officially leave the entertainment industry.
Sherman thanked his supporters for everything and said it was difficult to maintain the success.
“My life’s work and accomplishments can be attributed to the blessings bestowed upon me by my fans.” The celebrity told Tulsa World, “It’s stayed with me, so I can have the opportunity to do things that I really love doing.”
Bobby Sherman’s current net worth is as follows.
Sherman said, “I don’t think there’s anything I would change, other than maybe being a little bit more aware of [the success], because I probably could’ve enjoyed the fun of it a little more.” It required a lot of labor. There were many tears, sweats, and bloodsheds. But the best of times was had by all.
In 2011, Bobby Sherman married Brigette, his second wife, and the two of them are still together today. They established The Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children’s Foundation, a youth facility in Ghana devoted to fusing education and music, the same year they got married.
Bobby is 79 years old today. Still, I think you’ll all agree that he looks a much like himself because he still has a lot of his signature style!
Bobby Sherman was a fantastic actor and performer, and those wonderful years will always be missed!
To honor the legendary vocalist, kindly encourage your friends and family to read this article on Facebook!
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