I will swear on my mom, thats its all true. I played Cotton 5 days a week for 2 years and we have talked endless hours about his road days and mine, of course my time on the road was very little compared to Cotton of course. He shared many many stories with me and he never told the same story two different ways. Guys who are BS'ers never can tell the same story the same twice IMO, I heard Cotton tell some of the same stories to other people here at my house, as we awalys seemed to have some pool player(s) passing thru. The tails he would tell were awalys the same, if he lost playing someone-he would admit it. I never ever heard Cotton say something one way and then a different way 6 months later and I have a real good memory for that kind of stuff.
Also I have been friends with Billy Teeter for 22 or 23 years, Cotton and Teeter went to alaska together on the road. I remember Billy telling me about that, I thought it was great Alaska!!! Who would go that far to play??, they did thats who. I remember Billy telling me how they laid it down up there to get the $$$. When Cotton told me the story 20 years later his version was EXACTLY the same as what Billy told me in the 80's. So that checked out 100%.
Additionally if his book was fiction I'd say so. I wouldnt stake my reputation on Cottons book by endorsing it if it was fiction and represented as true. Cotton has no reason to lie about any thing thats in that book, and the guys that he talks about in that are still around, go ask them how it went down. Cotton has spent so much time on the road and been in so many spots that the book is just a high lite reel, he could write a book a year for the next 5 years and still have not told all the tails of the road.
On the topic of Books, Jay Helferts book was all real as well, I was around for lots of the things that happened in his book and it all went down as I remembered, These guys have been around for years and have great memories. Were lucky to have them write books. I spent about 5-6 months total in my life on the road and I had a few things happen that would be great material for a book, but I didnt spend enough time on the road, dont remember enough and didnt play good enough to write a book that would be any good. My point is these guys really did it, just like it says in the book. I did a fraction of it so I know how things can happen in pool rooms and bars. There is no reason to write fiction after 40 years on the road. If Cotton or Jay wanted to write a fictional book, they would do a great job of it but they would also make it clear its fiction. They have too much pride to lie about what they did. You have no idea how proud Cotton is of his book, its his lifes story.
