Bill DeYoung is a St. Pete native preserving the history of the city through stories of its recent past. He shared his stories on WMNF WaveMakers with Janet & Tom.
DeYoung, who got his journalism start at 17 as a copy boy for the St. Petersburg Times, is Senior Writer and Editor at the St. Pete Catalyst. He has collected his work for the Catalyst about St. Pete history through three volumes called Vintage St. Pete.
Before moving back to St. Pete, DeYoung worked for the Gainesville Sun as a music and entertainment writer and editor before writing his best-know book, Skyway: The True Story of Tampa Bay’s Signature Bridge and the Man Who Brought It Down.
His books are largely driven by his desire to learn about subjects that have been lost or buried.
His Skyway book led him to lead a successful effort to build a memorial to the victims of the May 9, 1980, disaster that brought down the bridge and killed 35 people.
“It occurred to me that somebody needed to write it all down,” DeYoung said.
Hear the entire conversation by clicking the link below, going to the WaveMakers archives or by searching for WMNF WaveMakers wherever you listen to podcasts.
