Brandie Knight

Brandie Knight is an American entertainment producer and writer, who has spent over twenty years in the entertainment industry, and co-producer of the award-winning documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong (2008). Knight is a writer, producer, lyricist, publisher, entrepreneur, and at one time she was Tommy Chong’s publicist.^[1]

Early life

Brandie Knight was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma^[2] on September 17, 1968, and before her second birthday, she was a resident of Germany. This was the beginning of what she refers to as being a citizen of the world. Her father was in the U.S. military, and her mother was an office manager for a company that built water cooling towers across the country.

Knight’s passion for writing started during her childhood when her vivid imagination provided an escape from the unstable environment of constantly moving from place to place. Later, as a teenager and inspired by authors Jackie Collins and Harold Robbins,^[3] she wanted to become a Hollywood novelist. She needed to become a Hollywood insider to experience first-hand the lifestyles of the rich and famous. She set a goal, and when the opportunity arose, she ventured into the entertainment industry.^[4]

Career

By Knight’s early twenties, she worked at a 20,000 seat outdoor amphitheater at Lake Compounce Festival Park in Bristol, CT, and it was her first taste of the insane entertainment industry. She was exposed to the unique lifestyles of the world’s most famous bands and the unbelievable behind the scenes shenanigans. She was there during the MTV tour when Milli Vanilli was caught lip syncing in the act and Guns N' Roses refused to play to a sold out venue.^[5]

Knight’s poems turned song lyrics were published by various recording artists like Nashville singer Dodie Frost. “Magical Night” appeared on the compilation album “Moonlight Magic” and “Is It Lust or Is It Love” aired on the Country Music Video Show. In 1996, Milton Berle inducted Knight into the Famous Poets Society.^[6]

In 1993, Knight co-created and published Party Chasers, a humorous lifestyle publication geared toward college nightlife and the unforgettable shenanigans of the Mid-West's Party Chaser Girls. The outrageous editorial attracted many celebrity subscribers. In 1994, George Wallace (comedian) used material from Party Chasers for a special Thanksgiving performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

In 1997, Knight started Brandie Knight Enterprises, a public relations firm. She helped establish start-up companies in the market place while her promotional efforts have taken pre-existing companies to multi-million-dollar levels. In 1999, her creative and shocking marketing approach caught the eye of Howard Stern, who brought the ad and product to his 28 million listeners. She secured stories with national media during peek times like November sweeps with NBC News and arranged a favorable documentary with September Films, a United Kingdom production company, that aired in the UK and on the Discovery Channel (UK TV channel). Throughout the life of the firm, she catered to a variety of clientele.

In 1998, Knight wrote a book entitled The Business Plan Workbook. The book guides the reader through a step-by-step process of how to write a business plan.

In the 1990s, an opportunity evolved for Knight to enter into the comedy industry. The most important choice Knight made that really got her foot in the door in Hollywood was when she met the legendary comedian/actor/producer Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong and later That '70s Show fame. She interviewed him for her entertainment magazine, Party Chasers. A week later, Knight started working for him as his publicist and later as his road manager. She eventually relocated to Los Angeles, California. By working for the legend, many doors opened for her in the entertainment industry where she was able to create and produce her own projects.^[5] Knight worked for the legend until his federal incarceration in 2003. During her time in the business, she has worked with hit shows on Showtime, Comedy Central, Fox, NBC, E! Channel and ABC.

Operation Pipe Dreams

In 2003, during Knight's time as Tommy Chong's publicist, Chong was targeted by a federal investigation named Operation Pipe Dreams, which sought out businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly hand-blown glass pipes and bongs.^[7] After the federal raid on Chong's home and business Chong Glass d.b.a. Nice Dreams Enterprises, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Knight as saying, "We've done everything the right way, and the government is saying there is no right way."^[8] The National Journal pulled a partial quote from Knight's interview with the San Francisco Chronicle and published it as The Hotline “Quote of the Day”.^[9]

Chong was sentenced to nine months in federal prison, and Knight suggested the comedian was being made an example by the feds as reported by E! Online.^[10]

Later career

In 2003, Knight formed a production company, Ole Skool Productions, LLC. She went on to create and produce two radio shows, The Last Laugh and Free For All, also, a television pilot entitled "Behind the Laughter". She is the co-producer of the award-winning documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong.^[11]

In February 2008, with Knight’s years of entertainment industry relationships, she entered into a partnership and launched Hollywood Revolutions, a licensing agency for intellectual property that is geared toward alternative lifestyle brands. Their clientele has included comedians George Wallace, Bobby Slayton, Amazing Jonathan, also, Jim Smith (co-creator of Ren and Stimpy and Samurai Jack), legendary rock photographer Neil Zlozower, and High Times magazine.^[12] In May 2008, Knight launched Vegas Revolutions, and in September 2009, Vegas Revolutions added a publishing department. In 2012, Knight acquired Holley Martin Publishing, LLC. In 2012, Knight entered into a partnership and formed 100th Monkey Productions, a film/TV production company, which focuses on producing meaningful documentaries.

Over the years, Knight’s shocking celebrity interviews and outrageous articles have appeared in Party Chasers and The Comedy Magazine.

After twenty years in the entertainment industry, Knight has written about her experiences in a novel entitled Hollywood Under the Covers. "Fiction seems mild compared to what I have been exposed to, experienced, and witnessed," Hollywood novelist Brandie Knight proclaims.^[13] According to media sources, she is currently working on the sequel to Hollywood Under the Covers.

Personal life

Knight splits her time between Las Vegas, Nevada, Taos, New Mexico and her hometown of Ponca City, Oklahoma.^[14]

Works

Books

• The Business Plan Workbook (1998)
• Hollywood Under the Covers (2010) ISBN 978-0-615-32586-6
• Self-Publish Like a Pro (October 2012) ISBN 978-0-9833273-0-1
• Book Marketing Like a Pro (November 2013) ISBN 978-0-9833273-2-5

Films

• Behind the Laughter (2003), Creator and producer
• a/k/a Tommy Chong (2008), Credited as co-producer and co-executive producer
• The Human Death Race (2014), Director and producer

References

External links

• Official website