Biography

Kenneth Marion Powers, born on July 9, 1947, in Landrum, South Carolina, lived a high-octane life, fueled by drugs, debauchery and death-defying stunts. He served in the U.S. Navy after completing high school. He was an American stuntman recognized for a notable yet unsuccessful feat. In October 1979, he gained attention for stepping in for stuntman Ken Carter in an ill-fated endeavour to leap over the Saint Lawrence River using a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental. Powers, who had never driven a rocket car before, broke his wrist, three ribs, eight vertebrae, and Carter’s heart. Kenny Powers survived, however, he struggled with problems due to alcohol and drug abuse his whole adult life. He passed away on February 28, 2009, at the Hampton Veterans Center in Hampton, Virginia, leaving behind his wife, Beverly Powers.