Who the hell is Ann-Margret?
When Tom Jones sang “Sex Bomb” he had to be singing to Ann-Margret. If you’re asking: who the hell is Ann-Margret? well then, you need to do a little bit of homework. Go watch Bye, Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, or Tommy…like, stat!
Ann-Margret
She became a huge star in the 60′s, well-known for her flaming red hair and earned the nickname “Sex Kitten.” She even showed up on the Flintstones as “Ann Margrock“.
And, she’s an avid motorcycle enthusiast…
Ann-Margret "sex kitten"
riding easy
I’m not here to rewrite her biography, but here’s a quick cheat sheet:
- she’s acted in 75+ films
- Born in Sweden on April 28, 1941, she came to America at age 6
- Her first motorcycle ride was at the age of 10 with her Uncle Calle
- She was discovered by George Burns
- Bye Bye Birdie was her break-out role
- Ann-Margret & Elvis had a passionate affair when they met on the set of Viva Las Vegas, which came to an end resulting in his marriage to Priscilla
- In the movie, The Swinger, she rides a 500cc Triumph T100C Tiger and after making the movie she was featured in Triumph Motorcycle’s official advertisements.
- In 1967 she had her first minor motorcycle accident
- In 1972 she survived a dramatic 22-foot fall from a concert stage in a Lake Tahoe, which literally destroyed her face and sent her into a coma.
- chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.
- In 2000, Ann-Margret had a motorcycle accident in rural Minnesota and suffered three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder.
What do you think it’s like to be this sexy?
From "The Swinger"
on the Triumph T100C Tiger
The Ann-Margret Show in Vegas: featured 11 different Triumphs in the opening act
In 2001, she was on the Larry King show and he asked her about her motorcycle (full transcript of the interview here)
KING: And do you still ride motorcycles?
ANN-MARGRET: I have a beautiful, brand-new one waiting for me.
KING: Harley.
ANN-MARGRET: Hand-painted, lavender, with gorgeous, gorgeous daises.
KING: Let’s just — there are so many things to talk about. But why do you ride motorcycles?
ANN-MARGRET: Why do you do this show?
KING: Well, it ain’t going to send me off the cliff.
ANN-MARGRET: No, but don’t you love it?
KING: Yes, I love it. But why do you love motorcycles?
ANN-MARGRET: It is everything. It is — I loved it since my uncle…
KING: Did Presley get you started with this?
ANN-MARGRET: No, my uncle Carl (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Sweden got me started.
KING: Oh, so you go way back with motorcycles.
ANN-MARGRET: Yes. Yes. And then, of course, I saw “The Wild One.”
KING: Marlon.
ANN-MARGRET: And I have always loved speed. I mean, the bikes, not the…
KING: You don’t drive fast when you drive a car?
ANN-MARGRET: Not really.
KING: Not really.
ANN-MARGRET: No, not really. You know the feeling that you have in a convertible, with the elements and everything, the little bit of danger, the speed…
KING: So you…
ANN-MARGRET: Freedom, independence.
KING: Exhilaration.
ANN-MARGRET: Exhilaration, yes.
KING: And so accidents are something you accept from it, right?
ANN-MARGRET: There are two types of motorcycle riders: ones who have had an accident and ones who will.
Il Profeta
I have to give props to Christina Shook for inspiring me to do this post when she posted some great photos and videos of Ms. Ann-Margret on Twitter. So thanks Christina!