Vic Knight is a rare find in Florida—he's a native. Not only was he born in the Sunshine State, but so were nine generations ahead of him, going back to 1785 when Florida was still a Spanish colony. His forefathers have been founding fathers of some of Florida's communities. He even speculates that his grandfather sat in the same state senate that Henry Flager supposedly paid off for a bill that would allow him to divorce his wife. With a family history like that, there is no doubt that Knight is a real Florida cracker.
He examines some of Florida's most infamous characters and con men in his second book, Florida Scams. His first book, Vic Knight's Florida, is a preserved history of the state, purified of the myths and misconceptions, but colored well with his sharp-tongued wit. However, it is not his writings that have made him famous from peninsula to panhandle. Knight is best known for his speaking appearances and as the voice of Big Band Radio of the Palm Beaches.
Over more than 22 years in radio, he has been a deejay, band leader, general manager, and most recently owner of four stations in Delray Beach, Gainesville, and Daytona Beach. Knight has since sold off all but WDBF in Delray Beach. It remains the home base for his syndicated big band radio show “Seven Decades of Sounds” heard in cities throughout the eastern third of the country.
His big band orchestras have toured all over the country. At one time he was based solely out of Indianapolis, where he operated seventeen dance orchestras. He has played with and produced shows with some of the swing era's greatest names like Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Mitch Miller, Mel Torme, and Woody Herman.
As a public speaker, he has been asked to travel to all corners of the state. Charity benefits, civic clubs, and library association meetings are part of the many audiences he entertains with his wisdom, lore, and humor. He has spoken to statewide organizations from the Florida Citrus Commission to the state PTA's annual legislative breakfast. Much like his music and writing, his speaking is geared toward bringing back the past for those who remember it well, and implanting it in the memories of those who will recall it for the future.