Teen Idol Bobby Sherman Dead at 81

Bobby Sherman -- a musician who rose to fame as a teen heartthrob back in the 1960s -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

A longtime friend of Bobby tells TMZ he passed away Tuesday morning from stage 4 cancer at his home in Encino, L.A.

Bobby’s wife, Brigitte Poublon Sherman and friend John Stamos paid a joint IG tribute to him ... calling him "brave, gentle, and full of light" even in his final days, and also thanked fans for acknowledging his legacy.

Bobby released his first songs -- a couple of singles -- in 1962 when he was just 19 years old ... to moderate success over the next decade.

In 1969, Sherman dropped the biggest hit of his career ... the song "Little Woman" on his self-titled 1969 album -- his first gold record.

In total, Bobby released seven gold singles, a platinum single and five gold records during a career that ran mostly from 1962 to 1976 ... with Bobby not releasing much afterward. He did make a career comeback in the late 1990s, and officially retired in 2001.

Sherman took on jobs in public service in subsequent decades ... working as a paramedic and instructing police officers in first-aid classes. He also worked as a reserve deputy sheriff in San Bernardino County.

Sherman was a regular at big events despite retreating from the public spotlight in the last couple decades of the 20th century ... and later appearing at the 2001 Academy Awards.

Bobby is survived by his two sons, Tyler and Christopher, and six beautiful grandchildren. He was 81.