For Bobby

A departed friend opens my eyes once more

I had planned on writing a diatribe all about The Color Purple. We saw the movie Christmas Day, went home to watch the 1985 film again (where Spielberg masterly sets up his shots), then I read the book the following day and was blown away by the original. I was going to get on a soapbox and wish that someone would give this story the full limited series it deserves to tell Alice Walker’s original tale. 

Then my friend passed away and I suddenly didn’t feel the need to be a white man complaining about how a particular story is shared that isn’t mine to tell or whine about. 

My friend Bobby Rivers taught me much about inclusion in the arts and the importance of seeing one’s self on tv & film. As a black man growing up in the 50s & 60s, Bobby had to search far and wide to see representation. He himself stepped into that role many times as a host, interviewer, reviewer. You’ve seen his face on VH1 & the Food Network. He was a pioneer in the field interviewing some of the largest names in Hollywood, often having double hoops to jump through as a black gay man. 

When news & TV shows stopped reaching out to him except to comment on the death of a famous black person, Bobby made the internet his place to reach audiences: through websites, blogs, and interacting with so many people on social media (the TCMParty hashtag on Twitter was one of his favorite places). I love reading tributes from those who met him in that way. I was actually one of those people who first chatted with him on Twitter over a decade ago and those chats were the beginning of  a friendship. He interviewed me for his podcast. I worked with him on his memoir that I had planned to publish, but he didn’t get the chance to finish it. I recall several fun dinners in NYC…and whenever I would post a martini photo, he would tell me to have one for him too. Then during the pandemic he allowed me to interview him when he shared his story about representation and how it matters. I rewatched that today when I heard the news of his passing. 

And that takes me back to why I chose not to cover The Color Purple remake in this article (though I would have loved to be discussing that with him this week). Listening to him speak reminded me how important it is for each generation to get another version of Alice Walker’s work. Film, stage, musical - the story is important to whichever audience is witnessing it.

An up and coming entertainment guru just like Bobby needs to see these films being made so that they know they have a voice. Bobby had a great voice. And wonderful stories. An incredible resume of work. And he’s gone too soon. I know he’s making his mother laugh once again and giving everyone in heaven a history lesson on the place, but I wish he hadn’t been taken this quickly. The world still needed Bobby Rivers and his wit & charm. 

“The only way to solace anyone who loved you in life is to be a good memory.” - Alice Walker

R. I. P. my friend. 

Greg & Bobby 2014