Frank "Cannonball" Richards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frank "Cannonball" Richards was a carnival and vaudeville performer whose act involved taking heavy blows to his belly.
Richards began by letting people (including heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey) punch him in the gut. He then progressed to letting people jump on his belly, being struck by a two-by-four, being struck by a sledgehammer, and finally being shot by a cannonball from a spring-loaded cannon. Richards limited his cannonball act to twice per day, as performing it more often was too painful.
[edit] Trivia
- A photograph of him getting the famous cannonball on his belly is featured on the cover of the Van Halen album Van Halen III.
- The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza" has obvious references to Frank Richards.
