Who was Bobby Sherman’s first wife Patti Carnel? 1960’s teen idol’s relationship explored following his death

Former teen idol Bobby Sherman, who gained fame in the 1960s, has died at age eighty-one after a brief battle with stage four kidney cancer, according to The Guardian. Sherman was first married to Patti Carnel. After his divorce, he married Brigitte Poublon, who issued a statement following his passing on Tuesday, June 24. She said:

"Bobby left this world holding my hand — just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace.”

Bobby Sherman, known for hits like "Julie, Do Ya Love Me," "Easy Come, Easy Go," and "Cried Like a Baby," was married to Patti Carnel for eight years until their divorce in 1979. Carnel later married actor David Soul, until their divorce a few years later.

More about Bobby Sherman's first wife, Patti Carnel, as the former teen pop idol passes away

According to Binary Tides, Patti Carnel, born in 1952, led a relatively quiet life when she met Bobby Sherman at seventeen, at the height of Sherman's fame. According to Tiger Beat Magazine, the couple started dating while she was studying at San Fernando Valley Junior College.

According to the outlet, Patti Carnel had a passion for dance and had previously trained as a ballet dancer for six years. In an interview with the former teen magazine, Patti Carnel revealed how she met "The Drum" singer, recalling that he lived in the same building as a friend. She said:

"Well, the first time was when my girlfriend was living in the same apartment building as Bobby. This was two years ago. She kept telling me that Bobby Sherman lived upstairs."

She also reminisced about the first date she went on with Bobby Sherman. She said:

"It was two days before Easter that Bobby called and asked me out. One movie magazine printed that we went to see the play "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" on our first date, but what we did is go to Charlie Brown's restaurant in the Valley with Bobby's parents!"

Patti Carnel married Bobby Sherman in October 1971 and had two children, Christopher Sherman and Tyler Sherman. In her interview, she also shared her thoughts on Bobby Sherman during their first meeting. She said:

"I liked him. I really liked him. I thought he was a very sincere person. He was so nice, he has a lot of charm and he just knows how to treat a person. He's a ladies-man, definitely!"

Just a year after their divorce in 1979, Carnel married David Soul in 1980. The couple had three children and were married for six years, but the marriage was filled with difficulties due to Soul's problems with alcoholism. According to the Daily Mail, when Carnel was seven months pregnant with her second child by Soul, he attacked her after returning home from a shoot.

Authorities were called, and according to reports, Patti Carnel suffered broken bones in her hand, but the charges were later dropped. He was later ordered to attend anger management classes. In 2024, after David Soul's death, she released a statement to the Daily Mail saying:

"The old adage 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all' is what sticks in my mind. We had three wonderful, handsome, intelligent and talented sons together and for this I thank God."

In a 2020 interview, David Soul reflected on that moment of his life and expressed remorse for attacking his then-wife, Patti Carnel. He said:

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"It was a moment that changed my life. I admitted it, I took anger management classes, and since then I've been able to help men's groups with these issues. Because I'm totally in control of myself, I can be a help to others."

Patti Carnel now leads a quiet, private life away from the spotlight.

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