Bob Rivers was a noted radio DJ in Seattle and other cities, known more widely for musical parodies that included his 1988 “Twisted Christmas” album.
- Died: March 11, 2025 (Who else died on March 11?)
- Details of death: Died of complications from esophageal cancer at the age of 68.
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Bob Rivers’ legacy
For 25 years, Rivers was one of the most recognizable radio voices in Seattle as he hosted “Bob Rivers Twisted Radio” and “The Bob Rivers Show.” It wasn’t the first town where he was a star radio DJ, but it was by far his longest tenure in a city, and it was the launching pad for many of his Twisted Tunes song parodies.
Rivers loved radio all his life. He had his first on-air spot when he was just five years old after winning a radio station contest while growing up in Connecticut. By high school, he was DJing out of a janitor’s closet, and he soon got his first paying radio gig while still in school. But it was in Worcester, Massachusetts, that he truly began to make a splash. He was co-host of “The Bob and Zip Show” on WAAF with Peter “Zip” Zipfel, and he debuted his first parody songs there. That included his gold-selling first album, “Twisted Christmas,” featuring the track “Twelve Pains of Christmas.” Rivers wrote and produced his song parodies, bringing in professional musicians to record.
In 1987, Rivers moved on to Baltimore, where he had a brief but memorable tenure at WIYY. In April 1988, when the Baltimore Orioles were in a losing streak, he launched an on-air marathon, vowing that he would broadcast live until a win broke their streak. He remained on the air for 11 days, taking brief naps during songs as his only sleep. Despite the popularity of the stunt and Rivers’ show as a whole, he took a job in Seattle in 1989.
Rivers started at KISW, co-hosting its “Bob Rivers Twisted Radio” morning show with Sean Donahue. In 2001, he jumped to Seattle’s KZOK, where he remained a decade until moving to KJR in 2011. On all three stations, he helmed a classic wacky morning show, mixing comedy sketches, listener phone calls, and music that included both hits and his own parodies. One of Rivers’ most popular parody songs was “What if God Smoked Cannabis,” a take on the Joan Osborne song, “One of Us.”
He retired from radio in 2014, delivering his last broadcast on the 25th anniversary of his first Seattle show.
Notable quote
“Like many, I got into radio partly to be closer to the music scene. I took a few piano lessons in grade school, and tried to play in a band when I was about 21, but I did suck.” — from a 2014 interview with Fred Jacobs
Tributes to Bob Rivers
Full obituary: The Seattle Times
