Scotty Kilmer
Scotty Kilmer | ||||||||||
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Personal information | ||||||||||
Born | Scott Michael Kilmer October 2, 1953 Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. | |||||||||
Education | ||||||||||
Occupations |
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Spouse | Leslie Kilmer | |||||||||
Website | carkiller | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
Channel | ||||||||||
Location | Clarksville, Tennessee, United States; Portsmouth, Rhode Island, United States | |||||||||
Years active | 2007–present | |||||||||
Genre | Automotive | |||||||||
Subscribers | 5.92 million[1] | |||||||||
Total views | 2.49 billion[1] | |||||||||
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Last updated: October 8, 2023 |
Scott Michael Kilmer (born October 2, 1953) is an American YouTuber, author, and auto mechanic.[2][3] His self-titled YouTube channel, Scotty Kilmer, has over 5 million subscribers and his videos have over 2 billion views.[4]
Early life
Scotty Kilmer was born on October 2, 1953, in Niagara Falls, New York.[5] At age 14, he learned to be a mechanic from his grandfather, Elmer Kilmer, who was the chief mechanic at the Texaco gas station which Scotty's father owned. He studied at York University for his undergraduate degree and then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, receiving a master's degree in anthropology. He was in the process of working towards his Ph.D., but eventually quit due to his dissatisfaction with the university tenure system. Kilmer went on to become a mechanic and moved to Houston in 1980. On the suggestion of his wife, he wrote a book, Everyone's Guide to Buying a Used Car and Car Maintenance, originally published in 1994. Its release led Kilmer to be on the front page of the Houston Chronicle, which attracted the attention of the local CBS affiliate KHOU.[5]
Career
Before YouTube, Kilmer had a television show on KHOU titled Crank it Up with Scotty. In this series, he showed the audience how to diagnose minor automotive mechanical problems, offered opinions on vehicle engineering, and provided solutions to low-profile problems. In 2004, Crank It Up earned a Regional Emmy Award for "Outstanding Interactivity"; Kilmer subsequently received an Emmy for "Best Interactive Car Talk Host."[6] His YouTube channel is much the same, and he answers questions about car problems and the vehicle industry, and gives advice. Kilmer typically uses his customers' cars in his videos as a point of comparison or other demonstrations with various products he uses as a mechanic.
Publications
- Kilmer, Scotty (14 November 2017) [1994]. Everyone's Guide to Buying a Used Car and Car Maintenance. Independently published. ISBN 978-1973292661. OCLC 1079423286. OL 32476920M.
References
- ^ a b "About Scotty Kilmer". YouTube.
- ^ Krasoff, Bess (August 22, 2019). "These are the Houston YouTube stars you should be watching". Click2Houston. KPRC-TV. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Cornell, David (September 11, 2015). "Car Repair Shops Beware: YouTube's Scotty Kilmer, Mechanic For Over 40 Years, Offers His Advice [Video]". Inquisitr. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ "Scotty Kilmer". YouTube. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "Clickbait Extraordinaire: This Is How Scotty Kilmer Got His Start As A DIY Mechanic Youtuber". HotCars. March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "2004 Lone Star EMMY Awardees". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Lone Star Chapter. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2021.