Bobby Rivers, the popular film critic and later talk show host, has died at the age of 70.
As Milwaukee's first black film critic to appear regularly on television, Rivers broke barriers and went on to have high-profile hosting gigs on Food Network and VH1, including his eponymous talk show Watch Bobby Rivers.
WISN announced that Rivers died Tuesday in Minneapolis.
His sister confirmed his death on Wednesday on Facebook, which was subsequently deleted or set to private, writing via Variety that “Bobby passed away last night and is no longer in pain.”
The late host was honored on social media by his friends and admirers, including The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg, Katie Couric and Sex And The City's Mario Cantone.
Bobby Rivers, the popular film critic and later talk show host, has died at the age of 70. As Milwaukee's first black televised film critic, he broke barriers before graduating and hosting shows on Food Network and VH1. seen in New York City in 2002
According to WISN, Rivers died in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Prominent presenters, journalists and actors paid tribute to him, including Whoopi Goldberg and Katie Couric; seen in 2008 in NYC
“All hail this pioneer, Bobby Rivers… He brought SO much to the table.” “RIP Bobby,” Goldberg shared on Instagram with a year-old photo of himself and Rivers beaming next to each other.
Couric wrote in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she was “so sad to hear this.”
“Bobby was a great guy and wonderfully warm, funny and smart,” she added.
Cantone's post on X included a black and white photo of a young Rivers.
“Rest in peace, Bobby.” You were such a wonderfully supportive, intelligent and compassionate man. “We will miss you,” he shared.
Legendary Village Voice columnist Michael Must noted Rivers' status as an LGBTQ icon.
“Bobby Rivers was an openly gay trailblazer. “He was funny, spirited, knowledgeable and groundbreaking,” he gushed on social media.
Film critic Stephen Witty focused on Rivers' history as a film critic and praised him in X.
“All hail this pioneer, Bobby Rivers… He brought SO much to the table.” “RIP Bobby,” Goldberg shared on Instagram with a year-old photo of himself and Rivers beaming next to each other
Couric wrote in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she was “so sad to hear this.” “Bobby was a great guy and wonderfully warm, funny and smart,” she added
“Rest in peace, Bobby,” Cantone wrote. You were such a wonderfully supportive, intelligent and compassionate man. We will miss you'
Film critic Stephen Witty focused on Rivers' history as a film critic and praised him in X
The film channel Turner Classic Movies also paid tribute to the lifelong film lover
“A mutual friend just told me that @BobbyRiversTV has passed away. “Bobby was a very funny, very knowledgeable journalist and a tireless advocate for greater diversity, particularly in the classic film world,” he wrote.
Witty called Rivers' writing about “race and It's a Wonderful Life” a “keeper,” adding, “I miss him already.”
Film channel Turner Classic Movies tweeted: “We are saddened by the passing of groundbreaking television personality Bobby Rivers.”
“An avid and knowledgeable film fan at heart, we will miss him sharing his love of the classics with the #TCMParty community and his thoughtful essays on his blog.”
Rivers grew up in South Los Angeles and later attended Marquette University in Wisconsin.
He began his broadcasting career at Milwaukee radio station WQFM, where he became a popular personality after making a name for himself in a morning news spot.
According to Variety, he was fired from the network in 1978 only because three petitions signed by over 1,000 people arrived calling for his reinstatement.
The public support helped the aspiring host renegotiate his contract and return to the network for another year.
After growing up in LA and moving to Wisconsin for college, Rivers established himself as a popular radio host before bringing his film criticism to television in 1979; seen in 2006 with Amy Sedaris
In the mid-1980s, he hosted a daytime talk show in Milwaukee. He graduated in 1987 to host his own VH1 show, Watch Bobby Rivers, and later served as veejay for Rosie O'Donnell on VH1 until 1990; seen in 1988 with O'Donnell and Roger Rose
He was the first black film critic to make a regular television appearance for WISN-TV in Milwaukee in 1979, and he also contributed to the nationally syndicated PM Magazine.
In 1984, he began co-hosting a daytime talk show on WISN, but it was canceled the following year.
He moved up to VH1 in 1987 and made such a strong impression that he got his own TV show, Watch Bobby Rivers, in 1988.
The platform helped him interview some of the biggest music stars of the time, including Paul McCartney, but also film superstars like Meryl Streep and Mel Gibson.
Rivers also worked as a music video veejay with Rosie O'Donnell until 1990.
In the early 1990s, Rivers turned to entertainment reporting for several New York stations.
In 2000, he became the on-camera entertainment editor for ABC News and Lifetime TV's Lifetime Live.
After the short-lived series was canceled, Rivers jumped to Food Network, where he hosted the show Top 5.
In 2011, he brought his love and knowledge of film and television to his blog, Bobby Rivers TV.