Robert Norman Ross famed as Bob Ross was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He went from being a public television personality in the 1980s and 1990s to being an Internet celebrity in the 21st century, becoming popular with fans on YouTube and many other websites after his death. He was a very talented painter and well-known to all.

What is Bob Ross Famous For?

• The creator and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on PBS in the United States, and also aired in Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

When did Bob Ross Die?

In the year 1994, he was diagnosed with lymphoma which made him retire from the final episode of The Joy of Painting' which aired on May 17, 1994. He died on 4th July 1995 at the age of 52. He kept his diagnosis a secret from the general public, and his lymphoma was not known outside of his circle of family and friends until after his death.

Where was Bob Ross born?

Bob Ross was born on 29th October 1942 with the birth name of Robert Norman Ross in Daytona Beach, Florida, the U.S. His nationality is American. He was born to Jack Ross and Ollie Ross. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a waitress. He was raised in Orlando, Florida. He entertained himself by caring for injured animals, purportedly including an armadillo, snake, and alligator in his babyhood. Talking about his siblings, he had a half-brother, Jim.

Regarding his education, he dropped out of high school in the 9th grade to work as a carpenter with his father, Jack Ross, when he lost part of his left index finger.

The career of Bob Ross

• Bob started his career in the Military in the year 1961 when his name was enlisted in the United States Air Force and was put into service as a medical records technician.
• Later, he rose to the rank of master sergeant and served as the first sergeant of the U.S. Air Force Clinic at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.
• After that, he developed his quick-painting technique to create art for sale during brief daily work breaks.
• Then, he developed a taste for painting after attending an art class at the Anchorage U.S.O. club.
• He became very interested in abstract painting.
• He also worked as a part-time bartender when he discovered a TV show called "The Magic of Oil Painting", hosted by German painter Bill Alexander.
• Later, he started selling Alaskan landscapes painted on the inside of novelty gold pans and began making money. He also sold his line of art supplies and how-to books, and marketing painting classes taught by instructors trained in the "Bob Ross method".
• He was well known for the catchphrases he used while painting such as "happy little trees".
• In most episodes of "The Joy of Painting", Ross would note that one of his favorite parts of painting was cleaning the brush.
• He was also fond of country music and was invited by Hank Snow in the year 1987 to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
• He did several MTV promotional spots that, according to the American City Business Journals, "dovetailed perfectly with Generation X's burgeoning obsession with all things ironic and retro" in 1990.

Who was Bob Ross married to?

Bob was married thrice in his life. Firstly he married Vivian Ridge in 1965. Ridge is also a talented painter. With her, he had one son named Steven Ross. Later, their marriage turned into a divorce in the year 1977.

Steve Ross Biography (Painter) - Bob Ross Son

Then, he married Jane Ross, his second wife in 1977. With her, he had no child. In the year 1992, she died from cancer.

After that, he married Lynda Brown in 1995, shortly before his death. 

Besides, Steve Ross, Bob also had another child from a teenage romance.

Moreover, he is very secretive about this privacy. His family can be found in the 2011 PBS documentary Bob Ross: The Happy Painter. His company, Bob Ross Inc., is protective of his intellectual property and his privacy to this day. The family is living a happy life together and there is no sign of separation between them.

How tall was Bob Ross?

Bob had got a very attractive body. With his glowing smile, he used to attract a lot of people towards him. He stood at a tall height of 6 feet and 2 inches and his body weight was around 187 lbs at the time of his death.

What was the Net worth of Bob Ross?

Regarding the net worth of a famous Painting instructor, Bob Ross, he had earned a huge amount from different sources. He was earning a good amount of money from his work. His net worth was calculated to be $6 million at the time of his death in 1995. He was also the owner of a $15 million business, Bob Ross Inc.