Bob Rivers facts for kids

Robert Rivers (July 7, 1956 – March 11, 2025) was a famous American radio host and musician. He was known for his funny parody songs, especially those about Christmas. His album Twisted Christmas was so popular it was certified gold, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies!

Bob Rivers was a well-known voice in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. His last regular radio show, The Bob Rivers Show with Bob, Spike and Joe, was on Seattle radio station KJR-FM. It ran for 25 years in Seattle, ending on August 8, 2014. Bob also played keyboards in a band called Spike and the Impalers until 2015.

Early Life and Radio Dreams

Bob Rivers was born in Branford, Connecticut, on July 7, 1956. He was the oldest of eight children. His parents taught him to work hard and be competitive. His father was in charge of a company that provided public services, like electricity or water.

From a young age, Bob knew he wanted to be on the radio. When he was just 15, he secretly broadcast from his family's basement! His mom quickly put a stop to that. He also started a radio show at his high school. At 16, he got his first paid radio job, but he was reportedly fired for playing too much Led Zeppelin music.

Starting His Radio Career

Bob Rivers began his career as a disc jockey in Connecticut. He worked at several radio stations there, including WAVZ, WNHC, WCDQ, WELI, WFIF, WCCC-FM, WWCO, and WLIS.

Bob and Zip Show in Massachusetts

Bob Rivers spent almost six years at WAAF radio in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was part of a popular morning show called Bob and Zip with Peter "Zip" Zipfel.

During this time, Bob started making his famous parody songs. These were funny songs that used the tunes of popular songs but changed the lyrics. He made them for the radio station and for a service called the "American Comedy Network," which sent funny material to radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.

One of his first parodies was "Breakin' Up Is Hard On You." It was about the breakup of the big phone company AT&T's Bell System. The song used the tune of Neil Sedaka's hit "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do." It even reached number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart! He then made "Just a Big Ego," which was featured on a comedy album and had a music video.

In 1987, Bob Rivers released his album Twisted Christmas. This album included the very popular Christmas song "Twelve Pains of Christmas," which was a funny version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Twisted Christmas became a gold record, meaning it sold many copies.

Baltimore's "98 Rock" and a Marathon Broadcast

In 1988, Bob Rivers moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to work at "98 Rock" WIYY-FM. He became very well-known for an amazing 11-day radio marathon! The local baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, was on a losing streak. Bob promised to stay on the air until they won a game. He kept his promise, only taking short naps during songs. This made him a local hero among Orioles fans.

While at 98 Rock, Bob continued to create his "Twisted Tunes." His work helped increase the station's morning show ratings by about 65 percent in less than two years.

Bob met James "Spike" O'Neill shortly before leaving WIYY. Spike was working at a car dealership that advertised on Bob's show. Spike joined Bob as an intern and later became a key part of his radio team.

Twisted Radio in Seattle

In 1989, Bob Rivers moved to Seattle and started a new morning show called Twisted Radio on Active Rock radio station KISW-FM. He brought Spike O'Neill with him. Spike was a sportscaster, writer, and great at doing impressions of different voices. They worked very hard for six weeks, planning and writing before their first show.

Bob released more funny Christmas albums:

• I Am Santa Claus (1993) – The title song was a parody of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man."
• More Twisted Christmas (1997)
• Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire (2000)
• White ... Christmas (2002)

Bob Rivers and his Twisted Radio show also made many non-holiday parodies. These "Twisted Tunes" covered topics like pop culture, politicians, and Seattle sports teams. You could listen to them for free on his website, and they were also available on CD albums.

In 1999, Bob wrote a "twisted tune" called "Kosovo," a parody of the Beach Boys song "Kokomo." It was about the Kosovo War. This song became very popular and even gained international attention when some Norwegian peacekeepers in Kosovo used it to make a music video in 2005.

By late 1999, Bob Rivers had been at KISW for 10 years, which was the longest time any radio personality had stayed at a station in Seattle. After his contract ended, Bob and his team took a year off due to a non-compete clause.

The Bob Rivers Show on KZOK

In September 2001, Bob Rivers and his team moved their show to KZOK radio station. The show ran there until September 30, 2010. Spike O'Neill was a big part of the show, known for his voice impressions of people like Rush Limbaugh and Bill Clinton. Other team members included producer Mike Jones, director Arik Korman, and news reporters Maura Gallucci and Kaci Aitchison.

The show was also broadcast in Portland, Oregon, on KVMX (now KXJM) "Mix 107.5" for a few months in 2006.

The cast sometimes performed funny skits on air. One famous skit was a parody of The Wizard of Oz. In it, Dorothy and the Wizard tried to bring former Seattle Seahawks football player Brian Bosworth back to Seattle.

KZOK also became famous for partnering with World Vision International. They held a "radiothon" to help find sponsors for children in poor countries. Bob Rivers helped them find sponsors for over 3,000 children in places like Senegal, Ethiopia, and the Dominican Republic.

Later, cameras were added to the studio, so people could watch videos of interviews and music performances on the station's website. Bob's show left KZOK when he couldn't agree on a new contract with CBS, the station's owner.

In December 2010, while they were off the air, Bob and his wife Lisa traveled to Bangladesh. They spent the holidays helping to build schools for people in need in Dhaka.

The Bob Rivers Show with Bob, Spike and Joe on KJR-FM

The Bob Rivers Show ran on KJR-FM from April 1, 2011, to August 8, 2014. This date marked 25 years since Bob first started working in Seattle radio.

The team at KJR-FM included Spike O'Neill, Joel "Downtown Joe" Bryant, news reporter Jodi Brothers, director Arik Korman, and producers Luciana Bosio and Pedro Bartes.

Show Content and Guests

The show played classic rock music and featured comedy, discussions about movies, sports, local and national news, and celebrity gossip. Bob, Spike, and Joe interviewed musicians, actors, comedians, and authors. A lawyer friend, Shawn Alexander, often called in to talk about legal topics. The team also provided funny comments on the news stories.

Over the years, the show members often talked about their families. Bob and his wife Lisa have two sons: Keith, who is a filmmaker, and Andrew, who is a stand-up comedian. Andrew sometimes appeared on the show to talk about his career and growing up with his parents.

In 2014, Joe, Bob, and Spike often shared updates about a diet they were all on, where they lost weight. Downtown Joe was very popular with listeners. In 2014, he hosted "The Warm-Up Show" before Bob arrived, chatting with Spike O'Neill and Jodi Brothers. Joe is known for being an expert in fishing and outdoor activities.

Arik Korman and his wife Monique adopted a boy from Korea, and Arik often shared facts and science explanations. Luciana Bosio and Pedro Bartes, who are a married couple, talked about their journey to become legal citizens in the U.S. In early 2014, they both received their green cards.

The show's team also talked about the children they sponsored through World Vision International. They held an annual event to encourage listeners to sponsor children too.

Listeners could call or text the show to guess answers to questions or share personal stories related to a news topic. For example, on May 8, 2013, they asked, "Have you ever participated in a practical joke that went wrong?" People who guessed correctly won prizes like tickets to music events or Spike and the Impalers CDs.

On July 28, 2014, Bob Rivers announced that he was leaving morning radio after 42 years. His last show on August 8 was a special event with family and local musicians. After the show ended, KJR-FM changed its music format.

Personal Life

Bob Rivers lived for many years in North Bend, Washington, with his wife, Lisa. He enjoyed gardening, keeping bees and chickens, hiking, and making music in his home studio. To overcome his fear of flying, he learned to fly a plane and eventually bought his own. He became a private pilot.

In 2014, Bob was featured in an interview about his love for hiking in Washington Trails Magazine. The article included five photos of him in nature.

In November 2015, Seattle's KING-TV reported that Bob was selling his large house for $2.3 million. He told the interviewer that he and Lisa planned to travel and hike more.

Bob Rivers passed away on March 11, 2025, after battling esophageal cancer for three years.

His Children

Bob Rivers had two sons with his wife Lisa. His older son, Keith Rivers (born February 2, 1983), is a filmmaker. His younger son, Andrew J. Rivers, is a stand-up comedian.

Interestingly, Bob's granddaughter, Keith's daughter, was born on August 8, 2014. This was the same day Bob Rivers ended his long radio show career!

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Film Appearances

• Bob Rivers was a big fan of science fiction. He appeared as an extra in two Star Trek: Enterprise TV episodes. In "Zero Hour" (2004), he played an engineer. In the series finale, "These Are the Voyages..." (2005), he appeared as a lieutenant.
• In 2009, Bob Rivers was an executive producer for a short documentary called Senegal, Africa: Through My Eyes. His son, Keith Rivers, directed it. The film was made with World Vision International, an organization Bob supported by traveling to countries like Senegal, Malawi, and Bangladesh.

Awards and Recognitions

Bob Rivers won many awards for his radio work. He was twice named Radio & Records' major market Rock Personality of the Year. Billboard magazine also recognized him as Radio Personality of the Week. In Seattle, he won three People's Choice Awards for the Best Minute of the Year in Seattle Radio from the Puget Sound Radio Broadcasters Association.

To celebrate his retirement from radio, the Seattle Mariners baseball team invited Bob Rivers to throw the opening pitch at one of their games. Bob insisted that Spike O'Neill and Joe Bryant join him, as they had worked together for so long.