At 57, Bob Ross's Son Finally Reveals The TRAGIC Truth About Him

The art students, speaking of cute, gathered together to build happy little clouds and happy little trees, yes, with sky blue shirts, big brown wigs everywhere while everyone dressed up to look like Bob Ross, did you know Bob Ross could film an entire season of your show? The joy of painting in just two days from brush strokes that turned mistakes into happy accidents and a voice that lulled insomniacs into a restful sleep, the artist was phenomenal and yet, beyond the happy hippie person on television, the Ross's life faced a tragedy that shocked hearts. from his fans Today we delve into the life story of Bob Ross from his peaceful episodes to the battles he privately faced in his early life To fully understand Ross's complex tragedies, it is crucial to explore aspects of his early life as Robert Norman Ross or Bob Ross as he was. famous was born on October 29, 1942 in Daytona Beach Florida to parents Jack and Olly Ross his father Jack was a carpenter and his mother Olly was a waitress Bob grew up in Orlando Florida in a humble home as a child Bob was known for his affection for animals injured he did not discriminate against any, from snakes and alligators to armadillos and squirrels, he took care of them, all his passion and care for animals were later transmitted in his television show distributed in several episodes in ninth grade.

Bob dropped out of high school and preferred to work with his father, who was a carpenter. However, Bob lost part of his left index finger in a saw accident while working as a carpenter with his father. Fortunately, that would not affect his ability to paint or hold a palette later in his future military career. In 1961, a few months after his 18th birthday, Ross joined the US Air Force, where he served for 20 years. Ross was a tall man at 6 feet 2 inches who towered over most, however, what was an impressive height also turned out to be a problem for him.

His exceptional height and flat feet meant that he could not train as a pilot or work on airplanes. He was relegated to a desk job where he would work as a medical records technician. When Ross reached the rank of Sergeant Major, he described himself as the guy who makes you scrub the latrine the guy who makes you make the bed the guy who yells at you for being late for work Ross was so hard on the roots of the recruits who earned the nickname "bust it Bobby" However, although Ross was good at his job, he hated having to play the role of disciplinarian and yell at recruits and his subordinates to the point of being known specifically for that, the man The soft-spoken, gentle personality we all later met was born from his desire to distance himself from the man he was. in the army, which led him to promise himself that he would be softer after leaving a promise, he remained faithful.

Ross served as first clinic sergeant at Eon Air Force Base in Alaska. His time in Alaska was where he first saw snow and mountains and was what sparked his interest in landscape paintings as opposed to all other forms of painting. Landscape would be a recurring theme in his paintings later in the future. Would Ross transition from a life in the military to a life as a painter? everything you had ever dreamed of or you will regret your decision first steps as an artist Bob Ross first became interested in painting in the early 1960s when the United Service Organizations Club began a painting lesson while he was still stationed In Alaska, however, he found painting interesting and continued painting.

It wasn't until 1975 that Bob Ross would

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feel a deep passion for her. Ross's interest in painting deepened when he saw the exhibition The Magic of Oil Painting in 1975, presented by the German painter William Alexander. From 1975 to 1982, Ross had spent 17 years in the military at that time, according to Ross in a later interview. He almost made me angry the first time I saw Alexander on TV because he could do in a matter of minutes what took me days. At the time, it took Ross days to paint a painting due to the style of painting he had learned, however he had just learned what would constitute the rest of his career as a pain painter, Weton's wet technique was a style of painting which involved applying oil paint over still wet paint rather than waiting for the paint to dry before applying another layer, this method meant that the idea could be quickly transferred to the canvas to create the image, making it a style perfect artistic for a television.

He painted constantly while he was still serving in the military and generally sold his paintings, which were usually of the Alaskan landscape, to tourists. He soon began making more money selling his paintings than he did in the army. He worked in taverns to supplement the money. He served in the army and it was there that he painted, although his paintings were mainly in gold wash cans, it helped him learn to paint quickly and also improve his painting skills. Ross not only sold paintings but also gave demonstrations which added to the appeal of his art as people marveled at him painting and creating art in front of them in 1981.

Ross would retire from the military after 20 years and seek out Alexander whom I had watched religiously on television up to that point. As a result of his deep interest in learning this art form, he became Alexander's best student, however, this did not pay him very well and although he managed to organize some paid lessons as a painting instructor, it was barely enough to survive on Ross's signature afro. In an attempt to save money on haircuts, he grew his hair out and got a perm instead. In later years he decided never to cut it, as it had become his signature style, although he did not like the hairstyle and felt like he was trapped in it.

He couldn't cut it off because it had become an integral part of his identity as a painter and a man. Ross's hair and style projected an adorable hippie persona almost always dressed in denim shirts and jeans and with a quiet voice that bordered on intimate. and made viewers feel like they were in a one-on-one painting session with him Despite the large number of people he attracted with his show, each episode Ross had a magnetic effect that endeared his fans to him with every episode they saw the quiet man. With his calming effect and his references to happy little trees and clouds, for some watching him paint was more than just learning the art, it was also therapeutic.

Ross later earned his traveling instructor certificate after becoming one of Alexander's traveling instructors. Ross later adopted this method of However, painting was not as profitable as he had hoped in the early years of his painting career in 1983, however, Ross debuted on PBS with his show The Joy of Painting, which aired for 11 years, three years older than its predecessor and much more successful. personal life Bob Ross's personal life was not hard, although he did not have the same calm and happy-go-lucky tone that he led in his life on his show. Ross was married three times and had two children.

He had her first child when he was still a teenager. Although not much is known about that son, his second child, Robert Steven Ross, also known as Steve Ross, was from his relationship with his first wife Vivien Ridge, the couple would divorce in 1977 supposedly as a result of infidelity. of Ross. Ross married his second wife, Jane, shortly afterward. At the end of his first marriage, the two were happy together and would continue to be business partners until the time of his death in 1992, unfortunately their marriage was not blessed with any children. In 1995, Ross married his third wife, Linda Brown, two months before his death.

There is speculation about the reasons for his marriage to her, although he had become a public figure. Ross was secretive about his personal life and decided to keep things private. Ross's first meeting with the Kowalskis occurred when Annette Kowalski was attending a painting class he taught. As a means of coping when she was desperate over the loss of her son and was looking for a means to escape her pain, Ross's class would prove to be exactly what she needed, as she was mesmerized by the way he painted Annette was the wife of Walt Kowalski, a retired CIA agent who had a knack for business and the connections to succeed in it, her meeting with Ross led to the television show The Joy of Painting and celebrity status. which Ross would later enjoy as a result of the television show in 1983.

The Joy of Painting was created and picked up by PBS stations ac

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the country, it would air on PBS for 11 years and in 1984, the Kowalskis and the Rosses founded Bob Ross Inc. Bob and his wife Jane shared an equal partnership with Annette and her husband. Walt had managed to create the perfect avenue to spread the value of art throughout the world, as the program managed to broadcast on 277 stations daily and reached more than 80 million people. However, this did not sit well with his former mentor William Alexander, who had taught him the art. The Weton Wet technique that he now used in his program to put Alexander out of business because Alexander Ross's action was a betrayal that he had never expected that his student would not only have stolen from him but also showed the entire world that he could do better in an act.

That bothered the mentor, although Alexander claims to have created the Weton Wet technique, the style of painting has been around since Caravaggio, who was quite known for painting with oil colors, Alexander had not realized exactly what it was that attracted the people to the Ross show. It wasn't the style of painting, although it helped that he was able to finish a painting half an hour before the exhibition ended, however, it was Bob's personality, his calm and sensual tone and his ability to get even Restless Minds to relax. and continued their painting sessions. It didn't matter if they themselves were painting at home or if they were simply watching as a means to idly pass the time, unfortunately the same could not be said for Alexander, his thick German accent interfering with his pronunciation of English words did not cause any concern.

The same emotions that Ross was known for in Ross's Joy of Painting show brought joy to those who saw it. He had created an atmosphere for people to simply be themselves while learning to paint with him as a friend. Bob Ross' painting style was very easily taught and has been fairly easy to copy by anyone truly interested in painting, however, what they could not copy was his personality and the true, honest passion that his voice and actions portrayed. in an episode of his show. Ross painted only in shades of gray after he was approached by a fan of his work that he wanted to paint but he couldn't because he was colorblind and only saw in shades of gray his compassion for his fans.

He attracted even more viewers to his show and people sang his praises proving that he was not in Ross used the half hour of each broadcast episode to paint, making sure to carry his viewers with technique and sometimes even entertaining commentary. Ross continued to find ways to make his show even more interesting to his viewers, including bringing his pet squirrel, Peep Pod, onto the show as a special guest, they found this charming and Peep Pod would continue to appear on the show surprisingly throughout the 11 years. that the show aired on PBS, although the show was rated higher and aired 403 episodes.

Ross was never paid for any episodes, they were all made free, however, Ross earned his money through other means. His interest was in growing the program and receiving publicity for his Company B. The company marketed instructional books, videos, and art materials using Bob. On Ross' behalf, he also offered painting workshops with teachers who had been trained in his Weton wet painting method in 1991. His sacrifice had paid off what was once a company built on an idea of ​​what it could have become. a $15 million per year company unlike Kowalskis Ross didn't care much about the money he made, but was more interested in creating a platform where people could learn art like he had and have quality products. while they learned the trade.

Kowalskis cared more about maximizing profits, even if that included. Taking shortcuts It is often said that money has a way of bringing out people's true personalities and in the case of Ross and the Kowalskis this would not be far from the

truth

. Unhappy accidents as the years passed and the couple's relationships continued to grow. would begin to circulate about the dynamics of their relationship, it was rumored that Ross and Annette were involved in a secret affair, however the Kowalski family denied that they were mere rumors, however years later Steve Ross's son Ross would bring up the topic once again alluding to the fact that it was true, problems began to arise from whatIt had been a peaceful relationship between the business partners when Ross's wife, Jane, died in 1992 from cancer.

The business partners had agreed in a contract at the creation of the company that, upon the death of one partner his share of the shares would be divided equally among the three remaining business partners rather than passing to his relationship partners upon death. of Ross's wife and the division of his shares among the others Ross had become a minority vote in a company that benefited from his public image and his name in the words of John D. Rockefeller a friendship founded on business is better that a business based on friendship Jane's death was the catalyst that would prove these words to be true in Ross's life.

The show must go on in the 11 years. Although the show aired, although Ross had some special guests, people and animals included, there was one that was more special than all the others. his son Steve throughout the show. Ross continued to invite his son to the program to paint. He would sometimes sit and make little comments. While Steve dazzled the audience with his painting, he sometimes left little hints that showed his true intentions. Ross was preparing for his son to take his place when it came time to retire from the show; However, although Steve was a good artist, he showed himself in the paintings he created both in the exhibition and outside of it, he did not mind following in his father's footsteps and following him because Ross, his son was a fantastic painter and he knew that He could continue with the exposition if necessary, however, for Steve, it was not the same, the pressure of following in his father's footsteps would put a strain on their relationship, a fight broke out between the two and they did not speak for several years, as As a result, unfortunately, the two would remain estranged for a long time. time and he would only speak again after Ross was diagnosed with lymphoma just weeks after his wife's death.

In a later interview, Steve mentioned that he regretted his decision not to pick up where his father left off, even though his illness had weakened his body and the diagnosis had weakened his spirit. Ross continued doing what he loved most: spreading Joy, one painting episode at a time. Ross continued making videos until he could no longer muster the strength to get out of bed in the morning, much less paint for a full 30 minutes. minutes despite the ticking time bomb inside him, Ross managed to keep his diagnosis a secret from the entire team he worked with as he continued to spread joy and laughter with his jokes and stories while painting with his impending death floating on the back of His mind Ross delved deeper into his painting by creating around three or four episodes a day, not only did he wish to have more episodes for his viewers after his death, but he also used it as a means to distract himself from his problem, unfortunately for him. the people he had once called friends were no longer there for him, they cared more about the disadvantage his death would put them than the loss of a life, there would be no Bob Ross Inc without the man whose identity created the brand for them.

It was about finding a solution to his problem so that they could continue to benefit from the brand even after his inevitable death. As the end approached, the Kowalskis became desperate to find an answer to his problem. The Kowalskis had become his biggest nightmare and there was nothing he could do about it except one after 403 episodes which equals 13 shows. Ross ended the series with parting words that no one could have known were goodbye messages. The show began on January 11, 1983 and ended in 1994. One of Ross's goals was to host a television show and in 1995, as his life neared its end, he did just that, appearing on the show Elmer and Friends , unfortunately this would put an even greater strain on their already declining relationship with Kowalski's now largest shareholders in the company they believed they reserved control of.

The company and him, since he was the face of the company, Ross had appeared on the show wearing a wig to cover his already thinning hair. The Kowalskis believed that, as a result, the audience would learn of his illness and that would only affect his business. Ross continued with the show, choosing to make the children happy and fulfill his life's goal of hosting a television show rather than appease the Kowalskis and their need for financial gain. The Kowalskis realized that Ross's time would come sooner than they expected and needed. do something about it if they had any hope of enjoying the profits the company had begun to produce while on her deathbed Annette Kowalski visited the Ross family, although it was not a friendly family armed with a contract that meant Ross would have signed his name and after using his likeness, he approached Steve with the claim of signing a contract that would help them create a memorial for Ross after his death.

Steve, dismayed by her sudden change in behavior towards his father since news of his illness broke, refused to take the contract to his sick father, although Annette returned home without signing the contract, the Kowalski family had not renounced Their plans to own everything that concerned the artist, each day that passed when he did not sign became even more shaken, Ross's life meant nothing to them beyond getting a single signature on a piece of paper to them, his legacy and his image were more important than the man himself, the Kowalskis constantly bothered the Ross house with calls without caring about the dying man who had gone to bed for his last days of peace before leaving the world, Steve recalled in an interview that his peaceful father lost his peace with every phone call.

She often heard him scream in his room, shouting, "You don't understand my name. I won't give you my name," though Ross tried to hold on to what he loved by keeping the Kowalskis away for as long as possible. He never could have expected what would happen. after his death. Life after Ross on July 4, 1995. Bob Ross died due to complications from lymphoma at the age of 52. Ross's death was not a big surprise to him for most of his life. adult life. He had given up nicotine addiction and was a cigarette smoker. He had battled several health complications throughout his life and had expected to die young.

He was buried at Woodlon Memorial Park in Gotha Florida, as well as in Florida. all areas of his personal life, Ross had kept his diagnosis a secret from the public and only his family and close friends knew of his death, the general public would also not find out about his death until much later, after he had even been buried. In death, the Kowalskis worried more about what knowledge of his death would do to their business than the fact that they had lost someone who had once seen them as a friend, even if it had been nothing more than an opportunity for them. of business with the information of his death kept secret only about 40 people attended his funeral the Kowalskis had not been present with Ross now out of the way under the terms of their agreement the Kowalskis had full ownership of Bob Ross Inc although the Kowalskis had gotten what they wanted, it wasn't enough with Ross's death, it was only a matter of time before the general public found out, thus losing the advantage they had.

Annette and Walt wanted more than just the company, as there was no way to keep it. Now that the man whose face the company was built on was gone, nothing else would work if they couldn't get the right to his name and likeness. Kowalski's interest was in using the Ross name for marketing, which they couldn't. do until they owned the rights to his name, they decided to try the aggressive route, although Ross had not buckled under the weight of his pressure and had signed over the rights to his estate before his death, now They were going to obtain them legally.

Ross had removed the Kowalskis from his will in Testament, leaving his estate and rights to his name and likeness to his son Steve and his half-brother Jimmy Cox; However, although that should have been enough to protect them from the Kowalskis and their intrigues, they were about to face more than they could ever have bargained for. The Kowalskis countered his will by claiming ownership of everything Ross had owned during his time. time working under Bob Ross Inc. the Kowalskis had done their research and were in it for all or nothing in an interview that Steve had remembers a phone call he received from Anette two days after his father's death where she told him that she would never He could create a painting-related business under the name Bob Ross, however, he was free to do anything else as long as it was unrelated to painting.

At the end of his life, Ross had done everything in his power to to ensure that the Kowalskis never ended up with his intellectual property, including his name and likeness, to address these issues in his will, he went so far as to marry his third wife, the nurse he had met while in the hospital, however, that I wouldn't do anything to avoid what was coming. Kowalski sued for Ross's estate, suing both his third wife and his half-brother, they wanted everything he had worked on and with from the paintings he had made to the brushes that were slid ac

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the canvases to create the painting. artwork The Kowalskis were on a wave of lawsuits, not only suing the Ross family but also suing television, the PBS station that had been the home of The Joy of Painting. and a PBS children's television show for half a million dollars.

The children's show had been the same one Bob did towards the end of his life in 1995. Ross had appeared on a green screen as he had become too weak to travel at that time. However, that would do nothing to stop the Kowalskis. When they were done, they owned almost everything that concerned Ross. Would this be the end for the Ross family or would they find a way to fight back and take back everything they lost in Bob's legacy? the loss of his father and everything he cared about Steve was frustrated by the Kowalskis and their desire to sue anyone who stood in his way had put him in fear following the advice of his lawyer Steve decided to sue them before they could find anything else what to take From it, he carried out his investigation to find something that would prove that he had ownership of his father's name and, in fact, he discovered that his father had made preparations for it, so that, however, Steve was about to Having a rude awakening, Jimmy Cox, it had been done.

Guardian, because Steve wasn't old enough, had signed some papers to make the lawsuit they were facing go away, unfortunately that meant he had signed over all rights to Bob Ross Inc. They had taken everything, including the recordings of the conversations between them. Ross and the Steve Kowalskis Unfortunately, he lost his lawsuit against Bob Ross Inc in June 2019. By the end of his life, Ross had painted approximately 30,000 paintings and, although many other artists have produced notable works that deserve praise despite their unusually many High on original paintings, Ross's paintings are rarely ever found on the art market; generally snagged before news of their availability reaches the market due to Ross's desire to prevent his work from becoming a medium of financial gain.

His paintings have never been sold at major auction houses. Bob Ross Inc still owns the rights to many of the paintings he created while airing The Joy of Painting. His first painting, a walk in the woods, was originally sold for about $100 by a station volunteer, who he bought it and hung it on his wall for 39 years; However, it has now been appraised and sealed with an asking price of $9.85 million, one of the few paintings he created that are not owned by Bob Ross Inc. Although Bob Ross was a very famous artist, his artistic style has been described as a cross between Fine Art and entertainment memorabilia. by an art appraisal service, his work, which contrasts sharply with that of other traditional artists, is more sought after by exhibition fans rather than by wealthy collectors who prefer more seasonal pieces created by other artists, the only paintings property of Bob Ross that continue to be in the possession of collectors are those that were sold during the exhibition and those that he painted before the exhibition that Bob Ross Inc has no right to claim, thanks for looking, don't forget to like and subscribe to See more videos like this.