Daredevil Evel Knievel Dead At 69

Extreme Sportsman Defied Death In Career Of Sensational Motorcycle Stunts

(CBS/AP)  Evel Knievel, the extreme sportsman who defied death countless times during his career as a motorcycle stuntman, died Friday, his granddaughter announced. He was 69.

Longtime friend and promoter Billy Rundel says Knievel had trouble breathing at his Clearwater condominium and died before an ambulance could get him to a hospital.

The hard-living motorcycle daredevil, renowned for jumps over Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon, was an international icon in the 1970s.

Immortalized in the Washington's Smithsonian Institution as "America's Legendary Daredevil," Knievel was best known for a failed 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered cycle and a spectacular crash at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. He suffered nearly 40 broken bones before he retired in 1980.

Although he dropped off the pop culture radar in the '80s, Knievel always had fans and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years. In later years he still made a good living selling his autographs and endorsing products. Thousands came to Butte, Mont., every year as his legend was celebrated during the "Evel Knievel Days" festival.

"They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives," Knievel said. "People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner."

For the tall, thin daredevil, the limelight was always comfortable. To Knievel, there always were mountains to climb, feats to conquer.

"No king or prince has lived a better life," he said in a May 2006 interview with The Associated Press. "You're looking at a guy who's really done it all. And there are things I wish I had done better, not only for me but for the ones I loved."

He had a knack for outrageous stories: "Made $60 million, spent 61. ...Lost $250,000 at blackjack once. ... Had $3 million in the bank, though."

Born Robert Craig Knievel in the copper mining town of Butte, Mont., on Oct. 17, 1938, he was raised by his grandparents after his mother and father divorced. He got into trouble frequently with the law in his youth, sometimes with a motorcycle involved (though he also got flack for popping a wheelie with an earth mover when he worked for a mining company).

At various times and in different interviews, Knievel claimed to have been a swindler, a card thief, a safe cracker, and a holdup man.

Knievel served in the Army, ran his own hunting guide service, and owned dealerships selling Honda motorcycles, where he drummed up business by offering $100 off the price of a motorcycle to customers who could beat him at arm wrestling.

After his hunting and sales businesses closed, and despite achieving some success as an insurance salesman, in the 1960s Knievel decided try his hand at motorcycle stuntwork to make a living. He traced his inspiration to the time he saw Joey Chitwood's Auto Daredevil Show at age 8.

He began his daredevil career in 1965, when he formed a troupe called Evel Knievel's Motorcycle Daredevils, a touring show in which he performed stunts such as riding through fire walls, jumping over live rattlesnakes and mountain lions and being towed at 200 mph behind dragster race cars.

In 1966 he began touring alone, barnstorming the U.S. West and doing everything from driving the trucks, erecting the ramps and promoting the shows. In the beginning he charged $500 for a jump over two cars parked between ramps.

He steadily increased the length of the jumps until, on New Year's Day 1968, he was nearly killed when he jumped 151 feet across the fountains in front of Caesar's Palace. He cleared the fountains, but the crash landing put him in the hospital in a coma for a month.

His son, Robbie, successfully completed the same jump in April 1989.

In the years after the Caesar's crash, the fee for Evel's performances increased to $1 million for his jump over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in London - the crash landing broke his pelvis - to more than $6 million for the Sept. 8, 1974, attempt to clear the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in a rocket-powered "Skycycle." The money came from ticket sales, paid sponsors and ABC's "Wide World of Sports."

The parachute malfunctioned and deployed after takeoff. Strong winds blew the cycle into the canyon, landing him close to the swirling river below.

On Oct. 25, 1975, he jumped 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island in Ohio.

Knievel decided to retire after a jump in the winter of 1976 in which he was again seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and broke both arms in an attempt to jump a tank full of live sharks in the Chicago Amphitheater. He continued to do smaller exhibitions around the country with his son, Robbie.

Many of his records have been broken by daredevil motorcyclist Bubba Blackwell.

Knievel also dabbled in movies and TV, starring as himself in "Viva Knievel" and with Lindsay Wagner in an episode of the 1980s TV series "Bionic Woman." George Hamilton and Sam Elliott each played Knievel in movies about his life.

Evel Knievel toys accounted for more than $300 million in sales for Ideal and other companies in the 1970s and '80s.

Evel Knievel married hometown girlfriend, Linda Joan Bork, in 1959. They separated in the early 1990s. They had four children, Kelly, Robbie, Tracey and Alicia. Robbie Knievel followed in his father's footsteps as a daredevil.

Knievel had 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Knievel lived with his longtime partner, Krystal Kennedy-Knievel. They married in 1999 and divorced a few years later but remained together.

His granddaughter, who confirmed his death today, said he had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs.

Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills.

His death came just two days after it was announced that he and rapper Kanye West had settled a federal lawsuit over the use of Knievel's trademarked image in a popular West music video.

[toolmangler-2009]

Ride well.......

[bdrlnt4rl]

This is sad, he was cool. We used to watch him ride when we were young. At least he died a cool numbered age! You rock Evel Kneivel!

[libsluvsuvs]

I believe this man lived to his most exteme limitations..lived life to its fullest test..

rest in peace..

[ssm9451]

As he rides off into the sunset, he''ll be remembered by all who were thrilled by his stunts.
REST IN PEACE

[mandylou4u]

R.I.P. one of my heros

also:

"His death came just two days after it was announced that he and rapper Kanye West had settled a federal lawsuit over the use of Knievel''s trademarked image in a popular West music video."

Don''t ya wish rappers would be creative enough to get their own material? Just a thought

[fibonacci_]

Its not how long you live but the quality of life that matters most.

[republic1776]

Funny, I just heard his name mentioned on the Radio yesterday. He made peace with some rapper. They thought it would lead to a reality show. Turned out his peace made was for real reality Death. He was jacked up in many ways, he was jealous of his own son for breaking his records. He should have been honored.
He was a true showman!
He was not some daredevil idiot like many thought.
He planned his stunts like NASA.
I met him once as a kid when he was promoting his movie. He came to my father''s Drive-in, I recall that I was hanging out with him and his staff in awe!
(I was around 10yrs.) Anyway some hot blonde runied it all when she stepped up and removed her Bra for him to sign.
Dad told me "Time for you to go son, but take a good look she has great Breasts"...) LOL

A great showman has died.
Rest in Peace!

[katia327]

I am sorry he passed....God be with him.

However, I have a serious problem with anyone playing with life, something so very precious.

Our news media claimed how he ''inspired'' people. How?He claimed he was a life risker, death defyer. Why?Someone posted previous, speaking of the ''quality'' of life. How can broken bones and being in pain all the time, be ''quality''?

Irony...a young girl, also in the news coverage right after Evel''s story, is suffering from brain cancer. This child, is not even being GIVEN a chance to live, and here''s someone else, who wanted to throw it all away.

It may have been his CHOICE, that doesn''t mean it was right.

[republic1776]

Katia327 We don''t know our fate.
I lost a daughter to Cancer, she died after fighting it for 6 years. I am 47 and been smoking for 33 years.
Go figure.
Can''t!
Only thing that is 100% Perfect is Death!
Think about it....

[jetranger7]

The year was 1974 - and I had all of Evel Knivels wind up toys, that year, I also watched him Jump cars here in Kansas at a State Fair back in the Early 1970s! He was also a great American Icon, and Legend and somewhat of a Role model, that if you try hard enough, you can achieve success, and live the American Dream, whatever your perception of that is !!! Go-Knievel-you''ll always Rock !!!!!! RIP !!!

[keithle1]

American icon. Nice to see his son Robbie doing well.

[republic1776]

Katia327 SAID:
"However, I have a serious problem with anyone playing with life''"

COME ON, Katia327, you upset that he had balls?
That''s the botton line, why you whine about it.
Wish you had balls?

[Renegade.Rivers]

May the wind always be at your back, EK. There is no doubt you were a man''s man, one tough hombre. You lived life to the fullest, you loved life, and you were loved.
You always had another dream, another plan, another trick to show the world. You was one unique fellow, probably not the words you would have used. You will be missed. Peace to you brother.

[downtowner97]

Rest in Peace, Evil. Your courage was an inspiration. I spent my entire childhood building rickety ramps and seeing how far I could jump my bike.

[kevzgrl]

Not the number of breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away. I remember when I was a teen watching several of his jumps and being in awe at his courage (and sometimes, stupidity) that led him to keep on pushing the boundaries. He was a great entertainer, and may he rest in peace at last.

[beehive21-2009]

He tried jumping the fountains at Ceasars Palace with a steal horse( HD )that weighted double what Robi made it with,he still made it,we saw it all.He rode around the Hotel parking lot on the back tire like it was normal.On display in the hotel lobby a HD witk v shaped wing with a jet engine under each,he was going to jump the Grand Cyn.Evil was one great showman.

[omded]

Katia327,
I know a lot of people don''t want you to believe this, but there really is no such thing as right and wrong. There''s only what you believe in. I understand that you don''t believe in EK''s way of living, and you wouldn''t live that way yourself, but there''s no reason to unilaterally state that it''s "wrong". Frankly, I admire the man for having the courage to live without a crippling fear of death. That fear of death plagues most of us, and, it prevents us from making our lives all that they can be. Also, as a youngster during the EK era, I found great excitement and joy following his latest challenge. I consider this a gift that he gave to me, and, for that, I will be forever greatful. We all have a very limited control over death. The problem is that, for most people, death has complete control over us. EK was free from this, and, in my opinion, we should all revere him for that. May we all learn at least a little from EK, and may he forever rest in peace!

[Renegade.Rivers]

omded,

Well said. As the old saying goes, Some got it, some don''t." He had more courage than good sense at times, but he heard his own drummer, and followed no one.

[nothappyatall]

"suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs. "

Hmm, lung disease;

There are five million people worldwide that are affected by this disease. In the United States there are over 200,000 patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis. As a consequence of misdiagnosis the actual numbers may be significantly higher. Of these more than 40,000 expire annually. This is the same as die from Breast Cancer. Typically, patients are in their forties and fifties when diagnosed. However, diagnoses have ranged from age seven to the eighties.

Traditional theories have postulated that it might be an autoimmune disorder, or the after effects of an infection, viral in nature. There is a growing body of evidence which points to a genetic predisposition. A mutation in the SP-C protein has been found to exist in families with a history of Pulmonary Fibrosis. The most current thinking is that the fibrotic process is a reaction to microscopic injury to the lung. While the exact cause remains unknown, associations have been made with the following:

*

Inhaled environmental and occupational pollutants
*

Cigarette smoking
*

Diseases such as Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Sarcoidosis
*

Certain medications
*

Therapeutic radiation

[iceman_1960]

In 1977, Evel Knievel was convicted of beating a former television executive with a baseball bat. He spent six months in jail, and was ordered to pay the victim $12.7 million in damages.

To his fellow inmates, needless to say, Knievel was a much admired celebrity.

[iceman_1960]

There are persistent rumors that Evel Knievel was George W. Bush"s biological father.

[mdc76082]

Man, gone are the days when we would safety pin our mom''s towels as our capes and hop on our bicycles and jump ditches and just about anything kids could come up with. We pretended we were Evel Knievel. God, those were the days. Then some dumba**, like newster1 has to post some stupid lung disease ***. Thank you Dr. newster1. Update at 11pm? Doofus. Thank you spirit of Evel. Those were best of times!

[jetranger7]

NEWS ALERT : "EVEL KNIEVEL" NOT DEAD !! NOPE HE''S NOT- HE''S ALIVE AND WELL ON THE WEB SITE "YOUTUBE" - (WWW.YOUTUBE.COM), JUST GO THERE AND IN THE SEARCH ENGINE, TYPE IN EVEL KNIEVEL, OR EVEL, OR KNIEVEL, AND UP WILL POP ALL OF EVELS STUNTS AT HIS BEST-PLUS A SPECIAL TRIBUTE I JUST GOT THRU FINISHING FOR HIM ! I ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE HIM JUMP AT THE KANSAS STATE FAIR BACK IN THE EARLY 70s, and I STILL HAVE THE POSTER AND THE HELMET HE GAVE ME AND AUTOGRAPHED TOO !ROCK-ON'' EVEL YOU''LL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED NEVER FORGOTTON-EVER , GOD BLESS YOU !!! R.I.P. !

[wvce]

Hey MDC, tell me about it. The only bicycle I had as a kid was an Evel Knievel made by AMF. It was white and had a white plastic gas tank with red, white and blue stars and stripes. No kid could have been prouder of a bike than I was of that one. Thanks Evel.

[shanev137]

You made the big jump. Rest in Peace Mr. Knievel and thanks for the memories.

[shanev137]

by the way...what ever happened to Awful Knoffel?

[daf1964]

Geez...I''m reading thru here and see some inappropriate responses. If you got nothing good to say, then just dont say (or post) anything at all. I wont give the idiots the benefit of stating their names again, just know that most of us true fans think you can #$@!_&%F! Let us FANS just remember the Man, his incredible talents and his uncanny way of making us believe that that he could do anything. My 12 year old son and I (I''m 43) got to meet him a few years ago and he was nothing but a class act. I had told my son about all of my bike jumps, stunt cycles and action van trips around my front yard. Like many of my generation, I expressed to him that we would do anything for EK, thats how much of an icon he was to us. When my kid heard about his death today, he called and expressed his sympathies to me because he knew how much Evel meant to me. I think the old man would have approved of that gesture. May he Rest In Peace.

[dukeudevil]

Evel, you were cool. I''d love to see you now jump that gap between heaven and earth. I''m certain the gods have set up a ramp for you. They also must have enjoyed your antics--they let you live to tell about them.

Katia327, Evel obviously had more life in his little finger than you have in your entire body. The more serious problem is that you don''t play with life. Gee, you must be one really boring person. You have my sympathies. You''ll never live being afraid to do it.

[gf3265]

It''s funny how this story says nothing about how Mr. Knievel came to know Jesus Christ and accept him as his personal saviour just a short time ago. How he is now in Heaven because he was wise enough to realize that he didn''t actually "have it all because he didn''t have Jesus Christ in his life". Thank you Lord for your Grace. I know that Mr. Knievel is beside you now in heaven. I pray that you comfort his family during this time.

[toolmangler-2009]

There are persistent rumors that Evel Knievel was George W. Bush"s biological father.

Posted by Iceman_1960 at 10:13 PM : Nov 30, 2007



Sorry to disagree, Ice, There is no way that Evel could have produced a kid ''that'' stupid and uncaring.

[kman681]

GOD BLESS YOU EVEL KNEIEVEL, WE WILL MISS YOU, EK WAS A MAN WITH THE PASSION AND HEART THAT MOST OF YOU LOSER''S WISH YOU HAD.... WE LOVE YOU EVEL KNIEVEL......F'' EM ALL

[radiob-2009]

Sorry to disagree, Ice, There is no way that Evel could have produced a kid ''''that'''' stupid and uncaring.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ToolMangler at


Maybe a amobea did the deed and is the father????

[toolmangler-2009]

I knew it had to be ''some low life'' ;)

[toolmangler-2009]

I knew it had to be ''some low life'' ;)

[vivaman]

What most writers didn,t think to write about Evel is that whenhe and his crew engineered the rocket jump over snake river, he did not have the technical expertise that astronauts have, and the billions of $s behind him, that NASA provides. It,s not likely that in our lifetime anyone will ever do so that again, and that in itself was like a man flying on a bomb, yet he survived. No one else will ever attempt it again. I wonder how many astronauts were watching, and if they stood up and applauded the man, he truly had guts.. Different than a clown with a little gunpowder behind him being shot out of a cannon at a carnival.

[jetranger7]

I''LL Be paying Tribute to Evel this week-end, by getting on my Scooter, and Jumping over several State Hi-Way patrol cars, on the Interstate, maybe I''ll go to the airport and Jump over a Boeing 777 while its moving down the runway,, now I know I''m Nuts and Insane !!! Thanks Evel !!!! You were Cool !!!!!!!!!! Truth is, I''ll probaly just Jump my Girlfriend-instead!!! :):):)

[denn034]

I saw his failed jump over the Snake River Canyon I believe when I was about 15. I remember his action figures and all the hoopla that surrounded him as well. I''m genuinely sorry to see this. Condolences to his family and friends.

[cfin5]

Had plenty of fun (except my knees and elbows) as a kid doing things like him........As long as Mom didn''t find out about it. :)

[cutebig]

Oh, I am sorry to hear the sad news.Another big guy left us. Such an important photo we should cherish it.Quite a few of people at largeplace.com like him much. what a pity to loose him!