Standard file photo. During the same year, Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Knievel sought to make more money from his image. Later that year on the sitcom Happy Days, motorcycle-riding character Fonzie (Henry Winkler) performed a similar trick, albeit on waterskis, inspiring the creation of the phrase "jump the shark.". On May 26, 1975, in front of 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium in London, Knievel crashed while trying to land a jump over 13 redundant single-deck AEC Merlin buses (the term "London Buses" used in earlier publicity had led to the belief that the attempt was to be made over the higher and more traditional AEC Routemaster double-decker type). Growing up in Butte, Montana . Robbie Knievel Bio . He was previously married to Krystal Kennedy-Knievel and Linda Knievel. During the late 1950s, Knievel joined the United States Army. Robbie Knievel, son of legendary stuntman Evel Knievel, has died at the age of 60, his brother, Kelly Knievel told CBS News on Friday.Robbie Knievel died of pancreatic cancer after being in . [6], Knievel's website says that he chose his nickname after spending a night in jail in 1956 after being arrested for reckless driving. Most Searched Celebrities. Kelly Knievel - IMDb Robbie also has three other siblings. He was born in Butte, a suburb of Montana of the United States of America. Evel Knievel First Wife: Who Is Linda Knievel? - ABTC To get an audience with casino CEO Jay Sarno, Knievel created a fictitious corporation called Evel Knievel Enterprises and three fictitious lawyers to make phone calls to Sarno. [citation needed], Between 1972 and 1977, Ideal Toy Company released a series of Evel Knievel-related merchandise, designed initially by Joseph M. Burck of Marvin Glass and Associates. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Evel Knievel - Grunge.com Knievel was fired when he made the earth mover do a motorcycle-type wheelie and accidentally drove it into Butte's main power line, leaving the city without electricity for several hours. Knievel's widow tells of life's 'crazy ride' with stuntman In 1999, Knievel celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Snake River Canyon jump at the Twin Falls mall. In Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 4, a character named Duke Caboom (voiced by Keanu Reeves) was partially based on the Evel Knievel toy. The star of "Dynasty" will debut her new memoir/cookbook at Mission Viejo's Readers Festival. Knievel, 69, divorced his childhood sweetheart Linda Bork mother of his four children in 1997. After jumping a moving locomotive in Texas in 2000, a 200-foot televised stunt, he smiled and said "That was close . Evel Knievel is rumoured to have hooked up with Xana LaFuente. During the six years the toys were manufactured, Ideal claimed to have sold more than $125million worth of Knievel toys. The series, inspired by his popularity, featured stunt motorcyclists. All Marriage & Divorce results for Linda Knievel. Robbie Knievel Brother. Robbie Knievel, son of legendary stuntman Evel . Long-time friend Engelbert Humperdinck sent a recorded tribute to the couple. To keep his name in the news, Knievel proposed his biggest stunt ever, a motorcycle jump across the Grand . George Hamilton portrays the daredevil motorcyclist in this lighthearted account of Knievel's first 32 years. [67], In the late 1990s, Knievel required a life-saving liver transplant as a result of suffering the long-term effects of Hepatitis C. He contracted the disease after one of the numerous blood transfusions he received before 1992. On April 15, 1972, the X-1 was launched to test the feasibility of the launching ramp. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Baldwin County NOW A Gulf Coast Information Source for South Alabama", Robbie Knievel Jumps Motorcycle 223 Feet Across Grand Canyon, "Remember $6 million Evel was flaunting? Evel Knievel Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family After Triumph, the motorcycle company he had been jumping with, refused to meet his demands, Knievel started to propose the idea to other manufacturers. After a month, he recovered and returned to Graham on August 18 to finish the show; but the result was the same, only this time the injuries were more serious. In the end, Knievel was featured in seven of the ten highest-rated episodes of ABC's Wide World of Sports. Robbie Knievel. Harry Styles. When the company refused to promote him to vice president after he had been a few months on the job, he quit. Throughout his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps.Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. [55] Knievel's courtship and marriage to Linda was the theme of the 1971 biopic. The site also curates relevant content that serves the needs of its audience. When he switched to the Triumph motorcycle, his jumpsuit changed to a white suit with stripes down the legs and sleeves. Knievel wives in feud - Daily Star You have entered an incorrect email address! View popular celebrities life details . I was a daredevil, a performer. The Evel Knievel Roller Coaster operated for three seasons before being renamed American Thunder in 2011. Made of steel, aluminum, and fiberglass, the customized motorcycle weighs about 140 kilograms (300 pounds).[28]. child. Throughout Kelly's and Robbie's adolescence, they performed at Knievel's stunt shows. An Interview with Linda Evans | Mission Viejo, CA Patch With little money, he went looking for a sponsor and found one in Bob Blair, owner of ZDS Motors, Inc., the West Coast distributor for Berliner Motor Corporation, a distributor for Norton Motorcycles. Blair offered to provide the needed motorcycles, but he wanted the name changed from Bobby Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils Thrill Show to Evil Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils. Source: Facebook Married Life Of Linda . I'd like to go to the moon, but I don't want to be the second man to go there." Near shock and ignoring Frank Gifford's (of ABC's Wide World of Sports) plea to use a stretcher, Knievel walked off the Wembley pitch stating, "I came in walking, I went out walking!"[40]. Robbie Knievel parents Robert Evel Knievel and Linda got married in the year 1959 after some short dating history and has since lived happily for 38 years. During the 1980s, Knievel drove around the country in a recreational vehicle, selling works of art allegedly painted by him. Robbie Knievel parents Robert Evel Knievel and Linda got married in the year 1959 after some short dating history and has since lived happily for 38 years. Web:www.ghbase.com As a youth, Knievel was often jailed for stealing hubcaps and motorcycles, including a Harley-Davidson motorcycle at age 13. 5, May 1988, Associated Press, "Christmas Is Year-Round Business for Toymakers", The Times-News, February 14, 1977, Associated Press, "And Then There's Evel Promoters Cashing In", The Evening Independent, August 15, 1974, Harbor, Phillip, "Audi Tries to Jump Snake River Canyon in Evel Knievel Tribute", CarBuzz, September 12, 2012, Learn how and when to remove this template message, more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps, "Proof: Evel Knievel Tried Out With The Charlotte Clippers", "Hockey Has a Checkered History in the Queen City", "Evel Knievel, 69, Daredevil on a Motorcycle, Dies", "Evel Knievel's first jump on wide world of sport", "Evel Knievel: Triumph Over The Fountains At Caesars Palace", "Doug Danger Breaks Knievel's Record Daredevil jumps 22 cars at Sturgis, on Evel Knievel's 1972 Harley XR750", "Success! [citation needed], After the Saltman assault and subsequent jail time, Knievel lost his marketing endorsements and deals, including Harley-Davidson and Ideal Toys. During their marriage, the couple had four children, two boys, Kelly and Robbie, and two girls, Tracey and Alicia. How I Met Your Mother Season 4 Episode 24: "The Leap" Quotes Robbie Knievel - Net Worth, Wife, Gay & Movie - Biography At the age of eight, Knievel attended a Joie Chitwood auto daredevil show, which he credited for his later career choice as a motorcycle daredevil. A 1971 biopic film, Evel Knievel, fictionalized Knievel's life and exploits. Knievel held the record for 27 years until Bubba Blackwell jumped 20 cars in 1998 with an XR-750. Knievel did not want his image to be that of a Hells Angels rider, so he convinced Blair to at least allow him to use the spelling Evel instead of Evil. Other - Spouse. Robert E. Knievel, also known as 'Kaptain Robbie Knievel', is a legendary American daredevil with 350 jumps and 20 world records to his credit and is the son of the world renowned Evel Knievel. Linda was married to Evel Knievel, the late stuntman.They got married to each other in 1959 and shared four children together.. She had two daughters named Tracey and Alicia and two sons named Robbie and Kelly with her former husband. When released, he returned to Barstow to finish the performance he had started almost a month earlier. Turquoise: Dub . Because I will never, ever, ever jump again. Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel died in Clearwater, Florida, finally succumbing after nearly a three-year bout with the terminal lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. )[53], In the 1970s, Knievel partnered with AMF to release a series of bicycles, marketed with TV ads.[54]. [citation needed], Knievel was successful as an insurance salesman and wanted recognition for his efforts. One of the common movie posters for the film depicts Knievel jumping his motorcycle off a (likely) Grand Canyon cliff. Both the X-1 and the X-2 test vehicles went into the river. We commit to cover sensible issues responsibly through the principles of neutrality. His first stunt was a jump over 40 feet of parked cars and a . Robbie Knievel was born on May 7, 1962, the son of stuntman Robert "Evel" Knievel and his first wife, Linda. In interviews, he said the reason for the switch was because he saw how Liberace had become not just a performer, but the epitome of what a showman should be, and Knievel sought to create his variation of that showmanship in his jumps. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. The battering charge was dropped when Kennedy declined to cooperate.[56]. Robbie Knievel obituary: daredevil dies at 60 - Legacy.com However, they were reconciled and living together when he died. 1.7K1.7K. Robbie Knievel continued into adulthood to perform . if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Robbiesrecord-breaking jumpsinclude the building to building jump, in 1999, jumping across the Grand Canyon in 2000, Wild Adventure Lake jumps in 2010, among others. Knievel was married once and divorced, his brother said. When you give your word to somebody that you're going to do something, you've gotta do it." [44] (Following the Caesars Palace crash, each of Knievel's full-face helmets bore the slogan, "Color Me Lucky.") Robbie Knievel's brother, Kelly Knievel, confirmed his brother's death today and said there will be a service in Butte and Robbie Knievel will be buried in the family plot at Mountain View . He remarried in 1999 but divorced second wife Krystal Kennedy two years later. Shortly after getting married, Knievel started the Butte Bombers, a semi-pro hockey team. The jump was inspired by the 1975 film Jaws. Tell him that you saw me here and regardless of what I was, that you knew me, and that I kept my word. Later, Knievel titled his 1988 self-produced documentary Last of the Gladiators. In the same jail, that night was a man named William Knofel, who had the nickname Awful Knofel; this led to Knievel being referred to as Evel Knievel. Movies. Each variant would become more elaborate, including the addition of the red-white-blue cape and the Elvis-styled belt buckle with his initials, "EK". He jumped only seven Greyhound buses but it was a success. I want to be the first. Linda Knievel - Ancestry.com The footage of this crash was so upsetting to Knievel that he did not show the clip for 19 years until the documentary Absolute Evel: The Evel Knievel Story. His whole life was a mess even at the end.. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Before the Monday service, fireworks exploded in the Butte night sky as pallbearers carried Knievel's casket into the center. At approximately the same time, Fanfare Films started production on the George Hamilton biopic. Robbie also has three other siblings. During their marriage, the couple had four children, two boys, Kelly and Robbie, and two girls, Tracey and Alicia. Stone suggested that Knievel read Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, a book that Stone wrote with Napoleon Hill. Again coming up short, Knievel crashed, breaking his left wrist, right knee, and two ribs. He managed to hold on until the cycle hit the base of the ramp. Linda was the first wife of Evel. On February 28, he set a new world record by jumping 19 cars with his Harley-Davidson XR-750 at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. Linda Knievel married Evel Knievel in 1959, but they divorced shortly after in 1997. Genealogy for Linda Joan Knievel (Bork) (deceased) family tree on Geni, with over 245 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Knievel promoted the motorcycle at his various public appearances. Colorado turns lottery revenue into parks, Study: MDMA therapy for PTSD shows positive results, These four types of healthy diets are linked to longer life, American stunt performer and artist (1938-2007), Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. "He was a great daredevil," he said. With each successful jump, the public wanted him to jump one more car. Click to reveal For education, he enrolled in Central Catholic High School in 1975. RELATED:Robbie Knievel cause of death, wife, net worth, parents, age, and other facts. Outside the studio commissary, one of Knievel's friends grabbed Saltman and held him, while Knievel attacked him with an aluminum baseball bat, declaring "I'm going to kill you!" Not to be confused with his son with a similar name, Pure Evel: American Legend; television documentary; Great Britain 2013, Being Evel, Documentary film by Daniel Junge and David Coombe. [76] In December 2010, a traveling version of the exhibit began a one-year tour of the United Kingdom and Europe. He was the second of four children. The father of Evel Knievel, Robert Craig Knievel, was born in Butte, Montana, on October 17, 1938. Promoting the show himself, Knievel rented the venue, wrote the press releases, set up the show, sold the tickets, and served as his own master of ceremonies. Don't miss a thing! In 1977, Bally marketed its Knievel pinball machine as the "first fully electronic commercial game"; it has elsewhere been described as one of the "last of the classic pre-digital games. He decided that he could do something similar using a motorcycle. Although he was originally scheduled to lead a benefit ride through Milwaukee, Knievel never rode the motorcycle because he suffered a mild (non-debilitating) stroke before the appearance and limited his visit to a signing session. On the morning of the jump, Knievel stopped in the casino and placed his last $100 on the blackjack table (which he lost), stopped by the bar, and had a shot of Wild Turkey, and then headed outside where he was joined by several members of the Caesars staff, as well as two showgirls. After his crash and recovery, Knievel was more famous than ever. Even his son Robbie, himself a motorcycle stuntman, joked about his father's womanizing at the funeral, telling his mother Linda, who was married to Evel for 38 years, and Knievel's latest wife . [citation needed] He was promoted to surface duty, where he drove a large earth mover. [citation needed], Knievel was married twice. Linda Knievel was born as Linda Joan Bork. The 19-car jump was shot for the biopic Evel Knievel. Kasey Faur. Charlie: Rod Cameron. He was born in the city of Butte in Montana. Coliseum jump over crushed cars was used at the beginning of the episode, and an indoor jump over eleven cars and one van was used at the end of the show. There, he opened a Honda motorcycle dealership and promoted motocross racing. If he had landed in the water, Knievel said that he would have drowned, due to a harness malfunction that kept him strapped in the vehicle. "I was happy he'd finally found a job he liked to do," his wife, Lindasurely the most understanding woman in Americaonce said. Linda Knievel - Ancestry.com Following the divorce, Krystal Knievel was granted a restraining order against him. As a boy, Knievel had seen the Joie Chitwood show. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_3',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0'); Robbies eldest daughter,Krysten, is an actress. Lloyd's of London offered liability insurance for $17,500. American Motorcycle, Vol. Knievel then used a Norton Motorcycle Company 750cc for only one year, 1966. The parents of Robbie Knievel are Robert "Evel" and Linda Knievel. [citation needed], Knievel was a proponent of motorcycle helmet safety. Record information.