Bobby Sherman's Wife Announces His Cancer Diagnosis as She Thanks Fans for Remembering Former Teen Idol

Bobby Sherman has been diagnosed with cancer.

On Tuesday, March 25, Brigitte Poublon — the former teen idol's wife — shared news of his health battle on Facebook.

"To all of Bobby Sherman’s cherished fans," she began the post, which featured throwback photos of Sherman. "As many of you know, Bobby has been retired for some time and is no longer able to participate in cameos, sign autographs, or make appearances."

Poublon added of her husband, 81: "It is with a heavy heart that we share Bobby has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. During this challenging time, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect for our privacy. Thank you so much for still remembering him. We really appreciate it."

Born in California, Sherman became a teen idol in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Early on, he found a mentor in Rebel Without a Cause actor Sal Mineo who helped him secure a recording contract, which eventually helped him land a gig on the music show Shindig! in 1964.

Four years later, he landed a starring role in the 1968 Western series Here Comes the Brides, where he played Jeremy, the lead’s shy brother.

Throughout his career, Sherman had several charting hits, including the single "Little Woman", which landed at the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, sold more than 1 million copies and spent nine weeks on the Billboard Top 20.

Additionally, he released singles including "Julie, Do Ya Love Me," "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Jennifer", "La La La (If I Had You)" and "The Drum." While he toured over the years, Sherman performed his last solo show in 2001.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

After a guest appearance on the show Emergency! in 1974, Sherman decided to pursue a different career path and trained as a paramedic in Los Angeles. For over a decade, he worked as a medical training officer at the Los Angeles Police Academy.

He landed the title of an LAPD technical Reserve Police Officer in the 1990s and received the award for Reserve Officer of the Year in 1999.

In 2010, he retired from the sheriff's department.