Pop Culture | 90s | 80s | Celebrities | TV

10 Amazing Facts About Bob Ross That Prove He Was Exactly As Wonderful As You Thought He Was

By Tanya |

Probably one of the most soothing people who has ever appeared on TV is Bob Ross. The talented painter is capable of making every brush stroke into an incredible landscape that you couldn't even imagine, all the while speaking some of the most positively joyful words you will ever hear. We all have watched it on PBS at least once in our life, some of us have even attempted to follow along.

Trying to paint like Bob Ross isn't the easiest thing, but as he said, "there are no mistakes, just happy little accidents". The calming presence of Bob Ross is something everyone should experience in their life, but did you know his life wasn't always pet squirrels and happy trees?

Here are 10 things you didn't know about Bob Ross:

1. He was missing part of his finger

While working as a carpenter with his father, Ross lost a part of his index finger on his left hand. Luckily it didn't affect how he held his palette!

2. He enlisted in the Air Force

When he was 18 he joined the United States Air Force. He actually rose to the rank of Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force Clinic at the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.

3. He started painting while in the Air Force

He wanted a TV show called The Magic of Oil Painting with host Bill Alexander. He liked the quick painting style and started practicing during work breaks and selling the results. He quickly realized he could make more money doing this than he was in the Air Force.

4. His Air Force career is why he is the calm man you know and love

He held a lot of positions in the military where he was in a position of authority. He said that he was required to be "tough and mean". He said that he was "the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work." Ross decided while still in the Air Force that if he ever left he would never scream again.

5. Each painting he did was painted three times

He would paint one version as a guide that would sit just off camera so he could use it as reference, one would be the one he actually painted on camera, and then a third that Ross would do after the taping with a bit more detail for his instructional books.

6. His reason for painting is the most Bob Ross reason imaginable

When asked about his positive attitude his response was perfect. He said "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."

7. He rejected an invitation to be on Oprah

Wow. No one turns down Oprah... Except Bob Ross. He was invited to come on the show and he originally was going to if he was going to get to do some paintings for the audience, but he then realized the show was actually about couples are are in business together but don't live together so he declined.

8. PBS says that 90% of viewers never painted along with him

Even though it's all he wanted, a lot of people just watched him for the comforting programming. According to PBS only about 10% of viewers actually paint what he does.

9. It's hard to find a real Bob Ross painting to purchase

Because he has so many lessons and shows that show all of his paintings, there are a lot of fakes out there. Also, he tended to donate so many of his works to PBS as donations for fundraisers so there aren't a lot in circulation.

10. Bob Ross hated his hair

His hair was actually permed so that he wouldn't have to cut it as often. He apparently grew to hate the style but he had already been on TV and it kind of became his signature look. This is what he looked like before the perm.

When he was going through treatments for his cancer and started losing his hair he chose to wear a wig to keep up appearance.

Bob Ross passed away in 1995 at the age of 52. We were lucky enough to have him all those years, but obviously we still miss him. Luckily he lives on, thanks to his painting legacy, all over the internet now. If you are ever looking for something soothing to watch in the evening, I highly recommend it! And if you are feeling particularly crafty give it a try! He's a great teacher and you will surprise yourself with how well you can do!

Share if you remember watching Bob Ross!

More Throwbacks

Pop Culture

Bet You Didn't Know Julie Andrews Was The Reason Why Mia's Dad Was Killed Off In "The Princess Diaries"

By Awa
Although we knew that the movie adaption of Meg Cabot's "The Princess Diaries" book series was a work of fiction, we still couldn't help but wish that we had a long-lost grandmother who would one day show up to rescue us from our boring life, and inform us that we were the princess of a European country called Genovia. VarietyThe dream has been slowly dying since the 2001 movie and its sequel were released. However, we still won't hesitate to watch the movie any chance we get and live vicariously through Mia Thermopolis. DisneyAnyway, in our quest to learn more

00s

Josh Hartnett Was A Massive Star In The Early 2000s, So Why Haven't We Seen Him Since?

By Tanya
It seemed like Josh Hartnett was in every movie in the early 2000s, but now it's hard remember the last movie you saw him in. Touchstone PicturesWhere did he go? You probably remember him from the movie Pearl Harbor, where he played Captain Danny Walker, or Black Hawk Down as the character Eversmann. He has been in a lot of very successful movies, and was one of the biggest heartthrobs of the early 2000s. BravoSeriously, his IMDB page is just a big reminder of all the great things he's done. One of his first big movies was The Virgin SuicidesAmerican

90s

The True Story Of The Murder That Shook A Generation Of Pop Fans

By Sandra
Just as her star was on the rise, the singer known simply as Selena was tragically murdered and fans are still mourning the loss of the young star two decades later. On March 31, 1995 the life of the promising young pop star ended. The Texas-born beauty Selena Quintanilla captured people's hearts with her style, sex appeal and instantly recognizable voice. The queen of Tejano music, a fusion of polka, country and jazz, was popular across northern Mexico and throughout the southern United States. She never had the chance to expand her stardom to other areas of the world, because

Pop Culture

10 Things We've Learned About The 'Roseanne' Reboot From Newly Released Photos

By Tanya
We've all been a little bit anxious about the reboot of Roseanne, and for a fair reason. Reboots have gone badly in the past, and because we love this show so much we really need it to be great. But now, after patiently waiting for many months, we finally have our first glimpse at what the show will look like. We have visual proof of what's changed, what's the same, and what can be expected from the new show. ABCThe photos from the first episode show that the house is basically unchanged since the series ended the first time in

90s

We Couldn't Stop Watching 'The Secret World Of Alex Mack,' But What Does The Cast Look Like Now?

By Zachary
These days all we ever talk about is Guts, Hey Arnold and Double Dare, but during Nickelodeon's hayday the network's most popular show was actually The Secret World of Alex Mack.The show about a teenage girl with a set of unusual super powers (including turning into CGI goop) was a smash hit. But where are the stars today, and how much have they changed since the '90s?Annie - Meredith Bishop Alex's smart, older sister was usually the show's voice of reason. After the show ended, Bishop had roles on other big shows like Felicity, Scrubs, and Agents of

Pop Culture

11 Years Later, Where's The Cast Of "7th Heaven" Now?

By Meg
7th Heaven was one of the few shows you could sit and watch as a family growing up. It was a wholesome show that still held our attention for over a decade. We grew up with the characters as they did, and everyone can probably list off five lessons they learned while watching. But now, 11 years after the show ended, what is the cast up to now? Let's start with the women. Catherine Hicks as Annie CamdenCWHicks played one of the best TV moms of all time, showing us that stay-at-home parents do more than just stay at home.