Evel Knievel, dubbed as the “world’s greatest stuntman”, died November 30, 2007 at age 69. The motorcycle stunt superstar had been ailing in health for sometime. Evel Knievel is famous for his death-defying motorcycle stunts, horrific crashes, grievous injuries, and his Elvis-like red-white-and-blue leathers. His outrageous stunts include the famous jump (or famous landing) in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 31, 1967 in which he jumped over the fountains at Caesars Palace. Knievel crashed after coming up short caused by a sudden loss of power on the take off. He suffered multiple broken bones and a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days. Still, the jump was spectacular. After the crash and recovery, he was famous than ever. He went on again to perform his next death-defying leap and jumped the Snake River Canyon after the US government didn’t allow him to jump the Grand Canyon.
Evel Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel, Jr. on October 17, 1938 in Butte, Montana. With a motorcycle flying career span of almost two decades, he is considered to be the most iconic motorbike stuntman of all time. As a young man he was athletic and always looking for new thrills and challenges such as joining in local professional rodeos and ski-jumping events and even went on to winning a ski jumping championship in 1957. He was also a pole vaulter and a minor pro hockey player. He was also a businessman. But his career as a motorcycle stuntman began in 1965. At that time, Evel is already married and had his first son, they’re living in Moses Lake, Washington. Times were tough for him then. He needed to come up a new way to support his family. Not having anyway to earn enough money, he started thinking about the notion of doing a motorcycle stunt show. Knievel was said to be inspired by the “Joie Chitwood Thrill Show“, an exhibition of auto stunt driving show he saw as a boy. Deciding that he could do a similar show, Evel started promoting, setting up the show, selling tickets, and even did the emceeing himself. Before a small crowd he then proceeded to do his first career jump which included a twenty-foot-long box of rattlesnakes and a cage of two mountain lions. The rest is history.
Trivia
After one particular police chase in 1956 in which he crashed his motorcycle, Knievel was taken to jail on a charge of reckless driving. When the night jailer came around to check the roll, he noted Robert Knievel in one cell and William Knofel in the other. Knofel was well known as “Awful Knofel” (”Awful” rhyming with “Knofel”) so Knievel began to be referred to as Evel Knievel (”Evel” rhyming with “Knievel”). The nickname stuck. [src:wikipedia]
There are only two human beings who have been influential enough to inspire a rock opera. First, Jesus Christ (Jesus Christ Superstar) and now, Evel Knievel. Evel Knievel: The Rock Opera, a classic rock-infused opera, is propelled by the same fuel that powered the career of its motorcycle daredevil namesake: pure adrenaline. [src:evelknievel.com]
Rest in peace, Bob…
[src:evelknievel.com]
2 comments ↓
May his soul rest in eternity peace now.
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