Legend Who Helped Put Las Vegas on the Map Immortalized At Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas unveiled the lifelike wax figure of legendary stunt man Evel Knievel to family, friends and members of the press today. Immortalized in the prime of his life, the Knievel figure thrilled his admirers at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas in his celebrated red, white and blue costume.

The unveiling of his lifelike wax figure was originally to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Evel’s legendary jump at Caesars Palace New Years Eve 1967, but has become a lasting memory due to his death on November 30, 2007.

Evel worked closely with Madame Tussauds Las Vegas in the making of his figure. He was able to see the clay headshots throughout the progression of his figure, and could not believe how life-like they were. Sadly, Evel never saw his completed figure before his passing.

The Evel Knievel figure will be placed within the SPEED room of the attraction. The Evel experience lets guests sit on an authentic replica bike - a 1972 Harley Davidson XR750, put on a themed Evel cape, and take pictures of themselves with his figure. The Evel figure has a replica necklace he wore embossed with the face of Christ, his trademark cane with a diamond emblem of a motorcycle doing a wheelie and an identical rabbit’s foot given to him by his half-sister, which he wore for many years.

Participating in the unveiling of the life-sized wax figure of Evel Knievel were son Kelly Knievel, wife Krystal Knievel, and Bill Rundle, a longtime friend and organizer of Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana, as well as Adrian Jones, General Manager, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas.

“Evel Knievel was an international brand and his ability to self promote and capture the hearts and minds of young and old with his death defying stunts made him one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century,” said Adrian Jones, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Las Vegas.

“My father was honored that Madame Tussauds was creating his wax figure, and he would have been delighted with the finished product,” said Kelly Knievel.

Knievel, was born on October 17, 1938 and died on November 30, 2007, age 69. Knievel was a hard-living, death-defying adventurer who went from stealing motorcycles to riding them in a series of spectacular airborne stunts in the 1960s and ’70s that brought him worldwide fame as the quintessential daredevil performer.

Knievel’s showmanship, skill and disdain for death were so admired that he became a folk hero. John Herring’s song “Evel Knievel” was a hit, and both Sam Elliott and George Hamilton have played him in movies. In 1977, Hollywood tried to make him into a movie star in “Viva Knievel!,” a film with Gene Kelly and Red Buttons. In the 1970s and ’80s, Evel Knievel toys had sales in the hundreds of millions for Ideal and other companies.

In July 2004, he told the San Antonio Express-News that he had no regrets about his life. “If the world had more people like me, it would be a more interesting place,” he said.

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