River Phoenix Overview

Date of Death: October 31, 1993 (Age 23) Born in Madras, Oregon, River Jude Bottom, was the first child of Arlyn Sharon Dunetz and John Lee Bottom. He was named after River of Life from the Herman Hesse novel Siddhartha, his middle name was derived from the hit Beatles' song "Hey Jude," and his last name was changed from "Bottom" to "Phoenix" as a sign of renewal. River's parents made a life-changing decision in 1972 when they joined the “Children of God” religious movement, which led to... See All