Bob Rivers, the beloved Seattle radio host known for his irreverent humor and musical parodies, died early Tuesday from complications of esophageal cancer. He was 68. “I have everything that Bob’s done and that we’ve done together to be grateful for,” said Lisa Rivers, his wife.
“I will miss him tremendously, but I can push play on his voice and our memories will live on.”
Rivers, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2023, was best known for “The Bob Rivers Show.” His signature Twisted Tunes parodies became staples of rock radio nationwide. “Bob was one of those people who put fun into radio,” said Kraig Kitchin, chair of the Radio Hall of Fame. Born July 7, 1956, in Honolulu and raised in Branford, Conn., Rivers had a lifelong passion for radio.
His first on-air moment came at age 5 when he won a call-in contest. By 14, he had launched a high school radio station out of a janitor’s closet. At 16, he was on the air professionally.
After early success in Boston and Baltimore, Rivers arrived in Seattle in 1989. His show “Bob Rivers Twisted Radio” blended comedy, rock music, and interviews with cultural icons. It later became “The Bob Rivers Show” and remained a ratings juggernaut.
“He got to be himself,” said his son Andrew Rivers.
beloved radio personality remembered
“I think that’s why he succeeded.”
Rivers’ show remained hyperlocal, engaging Seattle listeners with topics that resonated with the region’s distinct culture.
It was a daily ritual for thousands of Seattleites who tuned in to hear the familiar voices of Bob and co-hosts Joe Bryant, Spike O’Neill, and later, Jodi Brothers. “Other than my father, there is no man who has influenced my life more than Bob,” said Bryant, known on the show as Downtown Joe. After retiring from radio, Rivers and his wife moved to Vermont, where he embraced maple syrup farming and podcasting.
Three years ago, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Despite treatment, he attended 80 concerts, moved to Las Vegas, and continued podcasting. In his final months, Rivers collaborated with his son Keith, a Los Angeles-based film director, to turn one of his Twisted Tunes parodies into a feature.
“He literally went full speed all the way to the very end,” Keith Rivers said. “The legacy my dad built will echo on and on, and I’m so grateful that he loved what he did.”
Rivers passed away in New Hampshire to be near his maple syrup farm, closer to family, and where he and Lisa originally met 42 years ago. In addition to his wife Lisa and sons Andrew and Keith, he is survived by daughter-in-law Leanne Rivers, granddaughters Hazel and Georgia Rivers, sisters Beth Doornweerd, Katherine Kenney, Mary Redman, and Patty Tedford, and brothers Michael Rivers and Richard Rivers.
Brother Paul Rivers died in 2009. A private service will be held in Claremont, N.H., this week. A public memorial in Seattle will be announced later.
