A graduate of the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland, Quivers has been in the radio business since 1980, joining Stern in 1981 at DC101.

Prior to her radio career, she was a nurse in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of captain. Quivers has been witness to Stern's antics, such as the time he pretended to call Air Florida to ask for a one way fare from Washington, D.C.'s National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge, where an Air Florida plane had crashed just one day before (on January 13, 1982).

She has also been witness to Stern's interviews with transsexuals, Hollywood stars, porn industry stars, and many other people. She is also an avid equestrian.

Stern was fired a number of times during the 1980s from radio stations because of claimed "antics". Quivers always went along with Stern whenever their show would take them, and, with time, they have formed a solid friendship. When Stern's show went on television, Quivers' fame grew, largely because her face was then recognizable.

Quivers signed a television deal with Sony in 2004 for her own talk show. She began to explore independent opportunities during the FCC indecency crackdown earlier in the year. This talk show was supposed to happen in Fall 2006 according to what Howard said on Larry King, but she revealed on the air in March 2006 that the deal had stalled. She has claimed that a lack of available time slots due to competition from other celebrities who also signed talk show deals was the primary reason for her show failing.

In 1995, Quivers's autobiography, titled Quivers: A Life, was published. In the book, Quivers writes about her love-hate relationship with Howard Stern and his radio show crew, as well as her life of growing up in the mean streets of Baltimore, Maryland.

Quivers also alleges in the book that her father molested her when she was a preteen. She also wrote that she overheard her parents arguing after her mother caught her father molesting another little girl who lived in their neighborhood. Quivers' father was never arrested or charged with molesting Quivers or any other child. He is now deceased, having suffered from Alzheimer's in old age.

Quivers, Stern's most-often heard and perhaps most loyal sidekick, is a black woman. This fact has arguably made it more difficult for certain critics to claim that Stern and his radio show are racist and misogynistic. On the other hand, some commentators and critics have accused Stern of tokenism, since no other racial minorities or women other than Quivers are daily regulars on his show.

In 1996, Quivers co-starred in a made-for-TV movie called Deadly Web.

Quivers currently resides in Staten Island, New York, with six cats. Her longtime boyfriend is mysteriously referred to on the radio show as "Mr. X". It has been revealed that he is black, educated, affluent, and holds a position of responsibility; his anonymity to the Stern audience is merely to protect his career. His identity was once accidentally revealed over the air by Gary "BaBaBooey" Dell'Abate, who identified him as a New York City police officer named Tony. Since then, Quivers has occasionally referred to him as Tony.

Quivers occasionally mentions her favorite nephew, Anthony Quivers, who has appeared on the show. She is particularly proud of his being a sophomore at MIT, and an intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

On December 16, 2005, Robin and the rest of the Howard Stern Gang did their last show on regular FM radio.

In January 2006, it was revealed on Stern's Sirius Radio show (during a bit where cast members revealed secrets about themselves) that in her late teens, Quivers used meat and vegetables to masturbate. She claimed that she had late-night urges to use these vegetables on herself, only to feel guilty later when she had to discard the tainted food.

In February of 2006, Howard Stern purchased a Mercedes-Benz SL500 hardtop convertible for Ms. Quivers as a statement of his appreciation of her years of generosity and obvious loyalty towards himself and the show.