Robin Quivers (born August 8, 1952) is an American radio personality, author, and actress, best known for being the long-running co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Robin is recognized as Howard's main sidekick, widely regarded as his most loyal colleague, and receives special treatment from Howard. Stern has gone so far as to declare that he would not continue the show if he had to do it without Robin.
Early life[]
Quivers was born on August 8, 1952, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were educated only to the seventh grade. In her 1995 autobiography, Quivers revealed that she was molested by her father at a young age. At seventeen, Quivers enrolled at a pre-nursing program at Maryland General Hospital. She graduated from Western High School in 1970 and then began to study at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Military[]
In 1974, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Her first position was at the Maryland Shock Trauma facility of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services System, where she described her role as that of "a shock-trauma, intensive care kind of nurse, so I saw unpleasantness all the time". Knowing she could use her degree, Quivers joined the United States Air Force in July 1975, where she was commissioned as a second lieutenant. She entered active duty at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas on January 11, 1976. After six months of service, Quivers was promoted to first lieutenant. By June 1978, she had acquired the rank of captain.
Radio Career[]
In 1979, Quivers returned to Baltimore, where she studied at the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland and worked in a hospital. She landed her first job in the radio industry with a newscasting position at WIOO in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, followed by WCMB in nearby Harrisburg. She then moved back to Baltimore for a consumer reporter role at WFBR, where she also read newscasts with morning disc jockey Johnny Walker.
In March 1981, radio personality Howard Stern started his new morning program at WWDC (FM) in Washington, DC. He wanted an on-air newscaster to riff with him in the studio on the news and current affairs. Station program director Denise Oliver played Quivers a tape of Stern interviewing a prostitute on the air and she accepted the job without meeting him. She assumed she "would come in and do the news ... but it wasn't that way ... he wanted someone to play off of ... he wanted a real live person there with him". Robin quickly became associated as Howard's co-host. Even as other co-hosts like Jackie Martling joined the show later on, Robin remained unmistakably the primary co-host alongside Howard. Many people have characterized Robin as the straight man opposite Howard and the show's eccentric segments, providing a more restrained perspective and occasionally dissenting against Howard's views. Some argue that the show's success hinged on Robin, attributing it to the dynamic chemistry between Robin and Howard. Their interplay, essentially a dialogue between two contrasting personalities—Howard, the Jewish shock jock, and Robin, an snooty but good-humored black woman—was what made the show compelling.
As the Stern morning show on WWDC approached its conclusion, there was speculation that it was due to Howard making a joke about the crash of Air Florida Flight 90, although Howard denies this. Quivers left the show early on June 17, 1982, while Howard's contract was terminated on June 29. Stern subsequently signed a contract with WNBC in March, while Robin secured a position at WCBM in Baltimore until reuniting with Stern on October 18, 1982.
As Robin was officially employed as the news person for the show, she was stationed in her own booth. This practice, rooted in old radio traditions, aimed to isolate the on-air talent, minimizing background noise and ensuring clear audio transmission. Howard has also expressed that Robin's isolation allowed her to approach the show with a fresh perspective, offering unique insights on the topics they discussed, akin to how the audience might perceive them. This practice became a staple of the show, with Robin consistently stationed in her own booth, a tradition that persisted even into modern times when Robin discontinued her role as the news person altogether.
Throughout Quivers' extensive tenure on air, she has contributed significantly to the show in various ways. Her excellent chemistry with Howard, her openness in sharing embarrassing personal stories about herself, her skill in instigating arguments, and devising many of the show's iconic nicknames have all played integral roles.
Robin's voice and demeanor were frequently perceived as haughty and resembling that of a white person, leading some individuals during the early radio years to think she was indeed a white person. Her personality was frequently criticized as pompous, with some alleging she viewed herself as superior and out of touch. As she began earning significant wealth, she was perceived as an uptight rich person indulging in lavish purchases, such as acquiring multiple boats and properties. On one occasion, she even purchased an $800 bottle of wine during a dinner with Howard, despite him footing the bill. Robin has also faced criticism for serving as Howard's laugh track, laughing at all his jokes and appearing to cater to him. Her giggle, often referred to as a "cackle," has been labeled as irritating by some, though others consider it one of her distinctive traits.
Many have asserted that Robin served as Howard's token black person, essentially acting as a shield against accusations of racism. There were numerous occasions when Howard made or allowed racist remarks on air. One notable instance was when Howard appeared in blackface, which he later tried to deny when called out for it during his politically correct era. While many argue that Robin initially served as Howard's safeguard against accusations of racism, enabling him to freely make racist remarks, she undeniably evolved into a vital component of the show. By the 90s, people had embraced the Howard Stern show for its provocative nature, recognizing Robin's integral role within it.
In contrast to other staff members, Howard appeared to give Robin special treatment. While Howard openly mocked his staff members for their flaws and shortcomings, and even encouraged others to do the same, he treated Robin differently. Although Howard often had disagreements with Robin, he never subjected her to the same level of ridicule as Gary or Fred or other staffers. In fact, Robin often joined in with Howard as his ally rather than being the subject of mockery. In a memorable incident, Howard and Jackie teased Robin for missing a book signing due to feeling tired. Annoyed by their remarks, Robin walked off the show while they were on air. Despite her refusal to explain her walking out, she eventually returned and offered a feeble excuse for leaving. Howard chose not to confront her or mock her for walking out, allowing her to evade any repercussions. This stands in stark contrast to instances when other staff members, like Gary or Fred, walked off the show. On separate occasions when they did so, they faced relentless mockery and were accused of quitting, or deemed deserving of being fired. Both Howard and Robin criticized them for their actions.
A frequently discussed subject concerning Robin was her large breasts, with Howard often requesting to see them and the male members of the show complimenting their massive size. As the on-air talent of the show grew in the 90s, it became increasingly commonplace to joke about Robin's breasts and their notably large size. Despite the prevalence of nudity on the show, Robin never exposed her breasts except for one occasion when she flashed Howard but she was wearing a bra.
Robin has been by Howard's side throughout the majority of career since they first met in the early 80s. Regarded as Howard's most loyal and dedicated co-host, Robin is indispensable to him, with Howard even expressing that he would not continue the show without her. Currently, Robin continues to work alongside Howard, although she no longer presents her news segments and now serves solely as his co-host.
Robin was in love with Howard[]
For years, Howard believed that Robin was in love with him, a sentiment echoed by other staff members. A notable example was Robin's hostility to Howard's first wife Allison. When Howard would argue or complain about his first wife, Robin would usually side with Howard, even when Allison called in to defend herself. Howard held the belief that if he were not married or pursued a relationship with Robin, she would readily agree to date him. Robin consistently denied the claim, and in 1995, Howard had her undergo a lie detector test to settle the matter once and for all.
Robin successfully passed all the questions related to Howard, affirming that she was telling the truth. Howard initially expressed disbelief in the test and later stated that he believed Robin did love him at one point but had since moved on. In a later instance, Gary on the wrap-up show also asserted his belief that Robin had undoubtedly been in love with Howard in the past, but also believed she had since moved on.
Bullying Interns[]
Robin gained a reputation for being particularly harsh and unpleasant towards interns, as well as some of her assistants. She was infamous as someone to steer clear of in the office, being considered one of the show's most unkind individuals. There were instances where she made interns cry, and on one occasion, she refused to believe an intern's explanation for not coming in, leading to making the intern cry during an on-air incident.
Robin acknowledged that after undergoing therapy, she made an effort to improve herself and be kinder to people in the office. Gary admitted that Robin had been unkind to interns and even to him during his early years as show manager. However, he acknowledged that she had shown improvement after undergoing therapy.
Narcissist[]
Drew Pinsky administered a Narcissist test on the Howard Stern staffers, At 34 out of 40, Quivers scored the highest of all the staff and celebrities Drew had polled; the average for Americans is 15.3. Quivers' voice is often joked about on the Howard Stern show as being condescending and "snooty". On numerous occasions on air, she has attempted to redirect the conversation to focus on herself. She also claims to know more on various topics compared to others, including things like medicine, weight loss, charity, and the motivations behind people's thoughts. Another prevalent trait was Robin frequently discussing her close relationship with Howard and often mentioning that she conversed with him privately off the air, a privilege not afforded to others.
Personal life[]
Quivers resides in Manhattan, New York City. From the mid-1990s until April 2007, her long-time boyfriend Tony was mysteriously referred to on the radio show as "Mr. X". On April 23, 2007, while calling in to the Bubba the Love Sponge Show on Howard 101 to wish the host a happy birthday, Quivers was asked about her relationship with Mr. X, and responded with an announcement that they had separated.
In 1990, she underwent breast reduction surgery. In June 2007, Quivers began a vegan diet, which she says helped to increase her energy and helped her to lose 60 pounds (27 kilograms) over a six-month period. Quivers was set to release a book about her experiences as a vegan in March 2013, but it was pushed back to October.
In August 2007, comedian Jim Florentine asked Quivers on the air to go on a date with him. Due to the attention this garnered, Quivers became tight-lipped about the topic. On July 28, 2008, Quivers announced on The Howard Stern Show she and Florentine had ended their relationship. She stated that the breakup was amicable, that Florentine was "genuine and honest", and that he was the one who initiated the breakup.
Quivers has had many different hobbies, including race car driving, painting, rock climbing and other physical activities. She claimed she would be a successful racer and challenged radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge, an experienced driver, to a future race. Quivers competed in the 2007 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, finishing in fourteenth place out of seventeen racers.
Awards[]
At the 45th NAACP Image Awards in February 2014, Quivers won for Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional, for her book The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life.
Quivers was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2017
Health[]
Quivers announced in May 2012 that she needed to have surgery to remove a tumor from her bladder. Shortly afterward, she continued to provide commentary for the show from her New York home via an ISDN line, though this was hidden from listeners. Stern stated that Quivers was such an instrumental part of the show that he would quit radio if he ever lost her as a partner.
On September 9, 2013, Quivers announced that her cancer was in complete remission after successful surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. After seventeen months, Quivers returned to the studio on October 2, 2013. Quivers' official diagnosis was stage 3C endometrial cancer. In 2016, the cancer returned.