Bob Rivers, a renowned radio personality known for his long career in the Pacific Northwest and his popular "Twisted Tunes" song parodies, reportedly passed away Tuesday, at the age of 68. His death was attributed to a prolonged battle with esophageal cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in early 2022.
Rivers’ career spanned over three decades, with a significant 25-year run in the Seattle market. He hosted The Bob Rivers Show, which aired on stations like KISW-FM, KZOK-FM, and KJR-FM, ending its regular broadcast in 2014.
In the early 1980’s at Boston’s WAAF-FM, Bob began recording his famous song parodies while hosting the morning show. From the beginning, he shared them with everyone, sending them to radio personalities like fellow inductees Rick Dees, Scott Shannon and others. The nationwide popularity of his TWISTED TUNES earned him a Gold record in 1987, the first of seven records distributed by Atlantic Records.
Bob Rivers moved to Baltimore and 98 Rock, WIYY-FM. Bob Rivers won the Billboard Radio Promotion of the year for his on-air marathon as the Orioles lost a record 23 games in a row to open the 1988 season. The 258 1/2-hour marathon was a huge media hit, and a ratings win.
Known for his humor, improvisational style, and Christmas song parodies—such as "The Twelve Pains of Christmas" from his gold-certified Twisted Christmas album—Rivers left a lasting mark on the radio industry. His work earned him two Radio & Records Major Market Rock Personality of the Year awards and a 2023 induction into the Radio Hall of Fame, an honor he shared with his entire show team at his insistence.
Reports indicate that Rivers had been open about his health struggles. In a March 5, 2025, Facebook post on The Bob Rivers Show page, he updated followers about his stage 4 adenocarcinoma, noting recent complications but praising the support from Dartmouth Health. Following his retirement from radio in 2014, Rivers moved to Vermont and later Las Vegas, continuing to engage with fans through podcasting and creative projects like a six-song EP with his brothers. His death was announced by his longtime agent Paul Anderson to Inside Radio, and confirmed across various outlets, including MyNorthwest and Radio Ink, which highlighted his passing in New Hampshire after his cancer battle.
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