Evel Knievel
Born October 17, 1930, Robert Craig Knievel became best known as Evel Knievel. As young as 8 years old, he saw an automobile daredevil show and made his choice. He used to entertain the neighborhood kids with jumping stunts on his bicycle.
He achieved great fame as a daredevil motorcyclist both in the United States and Internationally. In the 70’s he was probably one of the most recognized daredevils in the world. A celebrity, he drew thousands to watch his fantastic jumps and most were televised.
Evel Knievel reached his maximum popularity in the early 70’s before his failed jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. He used a jet powered “Jet Cycle” to make the jump. There have been many books written about him and two feature films about him. He did some television commercials in the 90’s and achieved some popularity then after fading from the public view since the late 70’s.
He got his first motorcycle at 13, but crashed it right away. It is reported that his grandparents didn’t know what to do with him as he was always coming home cut and bruised from his various daredevil activities.
Though well liked as a kid, he was always is trouble for petty crimes.
He got married at 20; they eloped, and spent some time doing odd jobs and was in jail for robbery several times. One time his partner got shot so he thought it was time to turn to the straight and narrow. His way of doing that was to get into the daredevil business. In 1965 he got a group together and called then Evel Knievel’s Motorcycle Daredevils. They toured together doing daredevil stunts like jumping over live lions and rattlesnakes and riding through fiery walls.
In 1966 he decided to go solo. He did it all by himself to include putting up the ramps for the jumps, driving the trucks and doing all the motorcycle jumps that became longer and more dangerous. He didn’t make much money, but he had lots of fun.
In 1968 on New Year’s Day, he got his big break. He jumped 151 feet clear across the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He had tried to get the Television networks to film the jump, but they refused. John Derek filmed it and even though the jump was successful, the landing was not and Evel went to the hospital. The tape ended up on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and Evel was on his way.
He was in demand after the jump at Caesar’s Palace and as the United States was in the midst of the Vietnam conflict, Evel became a national hero. He talked out against drugs and alcohol and promoted a healthy image despite his daredevil activities.
He became wealthy, but spent his money recklessly. Garth Brooks one said that he (Garth) had made more money than he could ever spend so Evel told him to write him a check and he show him how.
After much success, it was over by the late 1970’s. He went back to jail for attacking the author of an Evel Keievel biography and he continued to jump but it was really over.
He became a painter, painting wildlife and western scenes and sold lots of paintings in galleries all over the country.
He broke 35 bones in his body and is in the Guinness Book of World Records and had a liver transplant in ’99. He contributes to charity and is involved with the “Make a Wish Foundation”.