Northeast News
November 23, 2016

The dog was saddened late last week to learn of the passing of a Northeast legend of sorts, local BBQ restaurateur and political king-maker Jerry Knight.
In the late 1980s Jerry bought some ramshackle houses at the corner of Winner Road and Beacon Avenue, just across from the old Mugs Up Root Beer stand. He leveled the houses and built what was to become an iconic neighborhood BBQ joint. Over the years Jerry dispensed hundreds of thousands of pounds of expertly smoked meats, spicy pickles and cold beer to a hungry and thirsty community. He oft had an amusing anecdote or a great story to go along with the grub and grog. The bottom line, you weren’t a stranger very long at Knight’s BBQ. The bar at Knight’s had about ten stools and if you were lucky, you could sidle up next to some Northeast political legends if your timing was good. The late State Senator Ronnie DePasco was a regular there as was former State Rep. Henry Rizzo and others, often “holding court” in one of the back booths. If political office was an aspiration, Jerry Knight was the one to see to get the lay of the political landscape.
We profiled Jerry on a number of occasions after taking over the Northeast News in 1998, including when he made the decision to start bottling and selling his own BBQ sauce. Jerry sold the restaurant about 10 years ago and settled in to retired life. This dog will miss Jerry’s visits to the newspaper, where he often gave news tips on goings on in the Sheffield neighborhood and its surrounding environs. He was a long-time champion of Northeast and an active member of the Northeast Chamber of Commerce. Jerry was an old school Democrat who wasn’t defined by party dogma but guided more by common sense and good cheer. This News-writing canine is a better and arguably fatter pooch for having known Jerry Knight.
Visitation is Friday November 25th from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at McGilley Antioch Chapel, 3325 NE Vivion Road Kansas City, MO. Graveside services will be at Hufft Cemetery in Eldridge, MO on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.