JOHNNY KNOXVILLE, BORN AND RAISED IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, WENT TO SOUTH YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL (WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS BECAUSE SOUTH YOUNG AND DOYLE WERE INTEGRATED IN 1991 INTO "SOUTH DOYLE HIGH SCHOOL.") HE GREW UP CLOSE TO CHAPMAN HIGHWAY (IN SOUTH KNOXVILLE) NEAR PALACE LANES BOWLING ALLEY AND YE OLDE STEAK HOUSE. JOHNNY ATTRIBUTES HIS SENSE OF HUMOR AND FONDNESS OF PRANKS TO HIS FATHER, PHIL, WHO USED TO RUN CLAPP'S TIRE STORE ON MAGNOLIA AVENUE. IN INTERVIEWS, JOHNNY OFTEN TELLS STORIES OF PRANKS THAT HE AND HIS FATHER WOULD PULL ON EACH OTHER, I.E. EX-LAX MILKSHAKES, FAKING LETTERS TO FRIENDS FROM AN S.T.D. CLINIC AND SO ON.

AFTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION HE PACKED HIS BAGS AND LEFT FOR CALIFORNIA (I DON'T BLAME HIM--I DID, TOO.) JOHNNY WAS AWARDED A SCHOLARSHIP TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS IN PASEDENA, CALIFORNIA. HE BRIEFLY ATTENDED THE SCHOOL BEFORE GOING ON TO VARIOUS ACTING JOBS (AND ACCORDING TO IMDB, A STUNT JOB IN "ROBIN HOOD, MEN IN TIGHTS." HE HAD A FEW SMALL PARTS IN COMMERCIALS AND MOVIES, BUT EVENTUALLY HE BEGAN TO EDIT AND WRITE ARTICLES FOR MAGAZINES SUCH AS 'BIG BROTHER', 'BLUNT' AND 'BIKINI.'

IN CALIFORNIA, HE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR MELANIE, WHO IS FROM TEXAS. ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO THEY WERE MARRIED, AND THEY HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER NAMED MADISON. THE NAME MADISON IS TATTOOED ON JOHNNY'S CHEST.

THINGS BEGAN TO WORK FOR JOHNNY IN 1996 WHEN HE GOT THE IDEA TO SHOOT HIMSELF WITH PEPPER SPRAY, A STUN GUN AND A .38 SPECIAL (WITH A BULLET-PROOF VEST, OF COURSE) AND WRITE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE. THE VIDEOS BECAME CULT HITS (I REMEMBER GETTING THEM SENT TO ME BY EMAIL AT AN ADVERTISING COMPANY I WORKED FOR IN DELMAR, CALIFORNIA.) MTV CAUGHT ONTO HIS POPULARITY AND PITCHED IT INTO 'JACKASS' WHICH IS NOW IN ITS SECOND SEASON.

JOHNNY IS ABOUT 6 FEET TALL. APPARENTLY HE HAS ASTHMA (WHICH YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW BY WATCHING HIM ON JACKSASS.) HIS PARENTS, PHIL AND LEMOYNE CLAPP, STILL LIVE IN K-TOWN, AND IF YOU WANT YOU CAN BUY A CAR FROM HIS DAD AT KERR MOTOR COMPANY ON CLINTON HIGHWAY.