History of Bob Rivers in Timeline

Bob Rivers is a retired American rock and roll radio personality and parody songwriter, primarily known for his Christmas song parodies. He gained fame in the Pacific Northwest and achieved gold certification from the RIAA for his album Twisted Christmas. Rivers' work falls under the umbrella of comedy music, utilizing popular songs as a base for his parodic creations.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1955: "Hot Rod Lincoln" Release

In 1955, the song "Hot Rod Lincoln" was released, which was later parodied by Bob Rivers as "White Ford Bronco".

July 7, 1956: Robert Rivers Born

On July 7, 1956, Robert Rivers was born. He is a retired American rock and roll radio personality known for his Christmas song parodies and work in the Pacific Northwest.

Others born on this day/year

1962: Neil Sedaka releases "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"

In 1962, Neil Sedaka released "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", which would later be parodied by Bob Rivers as "Breakin' Up Is Hard On You".

February 2, 1983: Birth of Keith Rivers

On February 2, 1983, Keith Rivers, the elder son of Bob and Lisa Rivers, was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Others born on this day/year

1985: Hired by WAAF

In 1985, Bob Rivers was hired to work at WAAF by Cynde Slater, a radio talent scout.

1987: Lead Morning Show Personality

In 1987, Bob Rivers became the lead morning show personality at Baltimore radio station "98 Rock" WIYY-FM.

1987: Twisted Christmas Album Release

In 1987, Bob Rivers released "Twisted Christmas", which included the hit "Twelve Pains of Christmas." The album was later certified gold.

1988: Orioles Marathon

In 1988, while at Baltimore radio station WIYY-FM, Bob Rivers gained national attention for his 11-day on-air marathon during a Baltimore Orioles losing streak, vowing to stay on air until they won a game.

1989: Moves to KISW-FM in Seattle

In 1989, Bob Rivers arrived at KISW-FM in Seattle, debuting a morning show with Sean Donahue. He brought Spike O'Neill with him to be sportscaster, writer, and impressionist.

1989: Morning Show Personality

In 1989, Bob Rivers was still the lead morning show personality at Baltimore radio station "98 Rock" WIYY-FM.

1989: Enters Rehab

In 1989, shortly after moving to Washington, Bob Rivers entered rehab to treat his alcoholism, ending his hard-partying days.

1993: I Am Santa Claus Album Release

In 1993, Bob Rivers released his second humorous holiday-themed music album, "I Am Santa Claus", a parody of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man".

1994: Twisted Tunes 1994- The Year In Review

Bob Rivers released the album Twisted Tunes 1994 - The Year In Review.

1994: Twisted Tunes on O.J. Simpson Case

In 1994, Bob Rivers wrote many "Twisted Tunes" about the O. J. Simpson murder case, including "White Ford Bronco," based on "Hot Rod Lincoln".

1995: "What if God Smoked Cannabis?"

In 1995, Bob Rivers created the parody song "What if God Smoked Cannabis?", based on Joan Osborne's hit "One of Us."

1997: More Twisted Christmas Album Release

In 1997, Bob Rivers released "More Twisted Christmas", another album of humorous, holiday-themed music.

1999: "Kosovo" Parody

In 1999, Bob Rivers wrote "Kosovo," a parody of The Beach Boys' "Kokomo," about the Kosovo War. The song gained international attention.

1999: Longest Radio Personality Tenure

In late 1999, after 10 years at the station, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer noted that Bob Rivers had the longest tenure of any radio personality in the local market.

2000: Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire Album Release

In 2000, Bob Rivers released the Christmas-themed album "Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire".

September 2001: Move to KZOK

In September 2001, The Bob Rivers Show moved to KZOK.

2002: Arik Korman Joins the Show

In 2002, Arik Korman joined The Bob Rivers Show as director.

2002: White Trash Christmas Album Release

In 2002, Bob Rivers released the Christmas-themed album "White Trash Christmas".

2005: Seattle Post-Intelligencer Article

In 2005, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote that Bob Rivers' show was consistently one of the top-rated morning shows in Seattle.

2005: "Kosovo" Music Video Controversy

In 2005, the "Kosovo" song written in 1999 by Bob Rivers gained controversy when Norwegian peacekeepers in Kosovo made a music video using the song.

March 20, 2006: Simulcast on KVMX

Beginning March 20, 2006, The Bob Rivers Show was simulcast on Portland, Oregon's KVMX "Mix 107.5".

October 5, 2006: End of Simulcast on KVMX

On October 5, 2006, KVMX dropped The Bob Rivers Show and switched to a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format.

2007: Norm Johnson Interview

In 2007, Spike O'Neill's interview with Norm Johnson about saving a woman's life turned into national news.

2009: Cessna Stolen by Colton Harris-Moore

In 2009, Bob Rivers' Cessna 182 was stolen by Colton Harris-Moore, who crashed it in Yakima, Washington. Rivers condemned the theft and Harris-Moore's hero status.

September 30, 2010: Show Ends on KZOK

On September 30, 2010, The Bob Rivers Show ended its run on KZOK.

December 2010: Bangladesh Trip

During December 2010, Bob and his wife Lisa traveled to Bangladesh to help build schools for the poor in Dhaka.

April 1, 2011: The Bob Rivers Show on KJR-FM

On April 1, 2011, The Bob Rivers Show began running on KJR-FM.

2012: Seattle Times Article

In 2012, Bob Rivers was praised for his wit and philosophy of perseverance in a lengthy article in The Seattle Times.

May 8, 2013: Call-In Segment Example

On May 8, 2013, The Bob Rivers Show had a call-in segment asking listeners about practical jokes that went wrong.

July 28, 2014: Retirement Announcement

On July 28, 2014, Bob Rivers announced his retirement from morning radio after 42 years on the air, including 25 years in Seattle.

August 8, 2014: The Bob Rivers Show Ends

On August 8, 2014, The Bob Rivers Show with Bob, Spike and Joe was broadcast for the last time on Seattle station KJR-FM, marking the end of a 25-year run in the Seattle market.

2014: Hiking Feature in Washington Trails Magazine

In 2014, Bob Rivers was featured in an interview about his enjoyment of hiking in Washington Trails Magazine.

2014: Downtown Joe Hosts "The Warm-Up Show"

In 2014, Downtown Joe was given the role of hosting "The Warm-Up Show" before Bob Rivers arrived, featuring chat among Joe, Spike O'Neill, and Jodi Brothers.

2014: Diet News

In 2014, Joe, Bob, and Spike provided almost daily news about a diet they were all on and used to lose weight.

2014: Arik Korman and Luciana Bosio Receive Permanent Residence Status

In early 2014, Arik Korman, along with his wife Monique adopted a Korean boy. Luciana Bosio and Pedro Bartes earned their permanent residence status with green cards in early 2014.