bob rivers

Biography

Bob Rivers (July 7, 1956 – March 11, 2025) was an American radio personality, producer, and parody songwriter best known for his sharply satirical Christmas song parodies and the long‑running “Twisted Tunes” franchise.[3][2] Raised in Connecticut, he became fascinated with radio early, winning a contest that put him on the air at age five and later running a bootleg AM broadcast from his family basement and a high‑school radio show.[2][3] By 16 he had his first paying radio job, though he was reportedly fired for playing too much Led Zeppelin, foreshadowing the career‑long blend of rock, irreverence, and rule‑bending that defined his work.[3][2]

Rivers’ career took off in New England in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including a role as program director at M106 in Claremont, New Hampshire, before a move to WAAF in Worcester, Massachusetts, where his parody writing flourished.[1][3][5] There he co‑hosted The Bob & Zip Show with Peter “Zip” Zipfel and began producing novelty songs both for WAAF and for the American Comedy Network, yielding early standouts like “Breakin’ Up Is Hard on You,” about the AT&T Bell System breakup.[3][1] His 1988 album Twisted Christmas—featuring “The Twelve Pains of Christmas”—went gold and established him as a national figure in musical comedy.[3][2] In 1987 he moved to WIYY‑FM “98 Rock” in Baltimore, where his 11‑day on‑air marathon during a Baltimore Orioles losing streak became legend, before relocating in 1989 to Seattle, the city most associated with his name.[2][3]

In Seattle, Rivers helmed morning shows such as Bob Rivers Twisted Radio and The Bob Rivers Show on stations including KISW, KZOK, and KJR over a 25‑year span, mixing classic rock, topical comedy, listener interaction, and meticulously produced song parodies.[3][2] He built a trusted on‑air ensemble—most notably Spike O’Neill and Joe Bryant—and extended his musical life beyond radio as a keyboardist with Spike & The Impalers and Heart By Heart.[1][3] After retiring from daily radio in 2014 and returning to New England, he devoted time to pursuits like beekeeping, maple syrup making, and even learning to fly, while still occasionally creating new Twisted Tunes.[1] Diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2022, he continued recording, including one final parody cut in Princeton, Massachusetts, and remained engaged with fans until his death in 2025, leaving a legacy as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved radio voices and one of America’s most prolific and influential parody songwriters.[1][2][5][7]

Fun Facts

• Rivers first appeared on radio at about age five after winning a local station contest in Connecticut, an experience that helped ignite a lifelong passion for broadcasting.[2]
• As a teenager he ran a bootleg AM station from his family’s basement and was eventually shut down by his mother, who discovered his unauthorized broadcasts.[3][2]
• During the Baltimore Orioles’ infamous 23‑game losing streak in 1988, he stayed on the air for 11 days straight—sleeping only during songs—in an on‑air marathon stunt that made national news and won Billboard’s Radio Promotion of the Year.[2][1]
• After retiring from radio, he took up beekeeping, maple syrup production, and overcame a fear of flying by becoming a licensed pilot, showing the same restless curiosity he once applied to radio and parody songwriting.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• American Comedy Network (KATZ/Newcity) - Syndication service that shaped his approach to topical parody by commissioning and distributing his early novelty songs to stations across the U.S. and Canada. (Early parodies including “Breakin’ Up Is Hard on You” produced while at WAAF for American Comedy Network) [Mid‑1980s[3]]

Key Collaborators

• Peter “Zip” Zipfel - Radio co‑host and on‑air partner on The Bob & Zip Show, where Rivers’ parody work first became widely known. (The Bob & Zip Show (WAAF, Worcester); early Twisted Tunes including material that led to Twisted Christmas) [Early–mid 1980s[1][2][3]]
• Spike O’Neill - Key member of Rivers’ Seattle ensemble, serving as sportscaster, writer, impressionist, and co‑conspirator on Twisted Radio sketches and parodies. (Bob Rivers Twisted Radio (KISW); ongoing Twisted Tunes; live band Spike & The Impalers) [1989–2014[3][1]]
• Joe Bryant - On‑air partner on the long‑running Seattle morning show Bob, Spike & Joe. (Bob, Spike & Joe on KISW/KZOK/KJR; live performance segments integrated with parody work) [1990s–2014[1][3]]
• Spike & The Impalers - Classic‑rock bar band formed out of the radio show cast, with Rivers as keyboardist, extending his parody and rock sensibility to the stage. (Regional live shows in the Pacific Northwest; performances tied to Bob Rivers Show events) [2000s–2010s[1]]
• Heart By Heart - Band featuring former members of Heart; Rivers played keyboards with them beyond his core radio career. (Live shows performing Heart’s classic repertoire with Rivers on keys) [Post‑radio years, after 2014[1]]

Artists Influenced

• Contemporary radio comedy and musical parody creators (various) - Rivers’ Twisted Tunes, especially Twisted Christmas and topical spoofs like “What If God Smoked Cannabis,” became staples on rock and classic‑rock stations, providing a template for integrating high‑production musical parody into morning radio formats. (Twisted Christmas series; “Twelve Pains of Christmas”; “What If God Smoked Cannabis” and other Twisted Tunes widely replayed and imitated on U.S. rock‑format stations) [Late 1980s onward[2][3]]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. What If God Smoked Cannabis? (Best Of Twisted Tunes, Vol. 2)
2. The Twelve Pains of Christmas (Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Twisted Christmas Boxed Set)
3. Walkin' 'Round in Women's Underwear (Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Twisted Christmas Boxed Set)
4. The Restroom Door Said, "Gentleman" (Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Twisted Christmas Boxed Set)
5. I Am Santa Claus (Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Twisted Christmas Boxed Set)
6. Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire (Chipmunks Roasting On An Open Fire)
7. The Chimney Song (Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Twisted Christmas Boxed Set)
8. Be Claus I Got High (White Trash Christmas)
9. The Twisted Chipmunk Song (Chipmunks Roasting On An Open Fire)
10. Wreck the Malls (Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Twisted Christmas Boxed Set)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia