Bob Ross is an art icon of the ‘80s and ‘90s. With his calm demeanor and painting talent, his TV show, The Joy of Painting, didn’t take much to succeed and become a household name. But what’s behind that positive outlook on life and artistic talent? An intriguing personal life!
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Bob got married three times, his first wife being Vivian Ridge—a painter like he is.But what happened to Vivian Ridge? And why did her marriage to Bob Ross end in an untimely manner?
A Brief Biography of Vivian Ridge
Vivian Ridge is known to the public because of her marriage to Bob Ross, but what’s behind her high-profile marriage?Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Vivian is an American woman with a Caucasian background. She’s mostly a private person who keeps her life under wraps, so we don’t know much about her early life and education.
However, we know that she earned a degree in art history from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, her birthplace and residence until her death. She was reportedly interested in painting from a young age, and her interest in art is how she met her husband. As far as we know, Vivian only got married once to Bob Ross and has one son from him, Steve Ross.
A photo of Vivian Ridge, Bob Rossy, and their son Steve Ross and their family of three
Image source: Loopermagazine
Vivian Ridge’s Marriage to Bob Ross
Vivian Ridge and Bob Ross were reportedly college sweethearts, having met when Vivian was pursuing further studies. However, details of their first meeting weren’t disclosed to the public, so we’re not sure that’s how they actually met. Vivian and Bob dated for a while before deciding to tie the knot in 1965. They also had a son named Steve Ross.
A photo of Bob Ross and his son Steve Ross
Image source: People
Unsurprisingly, he grew up to be a painter like his parents, even appearing alongside his father on his show, The Joy of Painting. Unfortunately, Vivian and Bob’s love story didn’t last. The couple got a divorce in 1977, 12 years after their marriage. Vivian stayed single until she died peacefully a few years ago. Bob, on the other hand, got married twice after their divorce.
Bob Ross: Life After Vivian Ridge
There’s probably a lot that you don’t know about Bob Ross. His life wasn’t entirely about his TV show—in fact, his life before the show is equally interesting. Ross served in the US Air Force for two decades before directing all his focus toward painting.
Bob Ross conducted a painting demonstration in Fairbanks, Alaska in the late 1970s during his service in the Air Force
Image source: Wikipedia
He was a self-taught painter, but his wet-on-wet technique, gentle voice, and positive catchphrases made him into an iconic artist. Bob met Vivian in the ‘60s and married her in 1965. Unfortunately, they divorced in 1977. So what was he up to after his divorce?
The Joy of Painting
Bob Ross became known to the public because of his TV show, The Joy of Painting. The show started in 1983 and kept airing until 1994—it ended only a year before Bob tragically died affected by cancer.
Bob Ross is teaching painting on the show ‘The Joy of Painting’
Image source: Pinterest
The show attracted millions of viewers because of its art content and Bob’s cool talent. He’d complete a full painting within a half-hour in each episode, thanks to his fast wet-on-wet technique. His humble personality also contributed to his show’s success, along with his soothing presence and positive catchphrases like “there are no mistakes in painting; only happy accidents.”
Two More Marriages
Vivian was Bob’s first wife, but she was by no means the last. Only a few months after he finalized his divorce from Vivian, Bob Ross went on to marry Jane Ross. Perhaps his most iconic wife, Jane Ross played a significant role in managing Bob’s business and helped him create his dream TV show.
Their marriage outlasted Bob’s marriage with Vivian, going strong until 1992 when Jane tragically passed from lung cancer. Apparently, it wasn’t easy to move on from Jane because Bob didn’t marry again until 1995. He married Lynda Brown in May, but unfortunately, he wouldn’t be there long to witness his marriage grow. He passed away only two months later due to cancer.
Tragic passing
One of the most recognizable faces of the ‘80s, Bob Ross’s journey ended prematurely in 1995—when he was only 52 years old. Before passing away, Bob left a will handing over the intellectual property rights of his paintings to his half-brother and son Steve Ross.
《The Hustle》provides a data chart showing the number of paintings by 11 artists, including Bob Ross
Image source: Thehustle
Unfortunately, Bob’s business partners, the Kowalskis, regained full control of the company—Bob Ross Inc.—after going into a legal battle with Steve and winning it. The details of the legal battle and Ross’s journey to success and fame are documented in the Netflix documentary: Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed.
Featured image source: Loopermagazine
