Names from the past

kansas city

I watched JR match up with Benny "The Goose" Conway at Raytown Recreation. It had to be 25 years ago and being a young player I was mesmerized by watching these road players do battle.

It was a race 9 for 100 jellybeans. The score was tied up at 8 with Benny shooting an 8 ball into the corner pocket. It was a thin cut and the cue ball came straight back and stopped dead after hitting Benny's tip on his follow through. Benny calmly shot the 9 ball in like nothing ever happened then flipped the coin. Of course, JR was throwing a fit that Benny fouled. Benny walked over and said something to JR and the play ended.

Fast forward to 15 years later, I had the chance to play JR in the 9 ball at the DCC. I had to ask him if he remembered the match up and what Benny told him. He definitely remembered, and Benny calmly told him that he was packing

about that same time i saw the goose play 9 ball 11 ahead for 2k on a bar box in kansas city. i believe he was playing ohaha john. match started about noon and had to stop when it was closing time for the bar. i had to work the next morning and by the time i got to the bar the game was over. the goose had lost.
 
Popcorn's stable of players in the 60's and 70's at Five Points in El Monte, CA included at various times: Mike Massey, Larry Lisciotti, Eddie Burton, Philly Joe Veasey, Ray Booth, Alibi Al, Harley Bryant, Waterdog and of course Don Watson. It was like the West Coast version of 7/11. :cool:
 
jay helfert said:
Popcorn's stable of players in the 60's and 70's at Five Points in El Monte, CA included at various times: Mike Massey, Larry Lisciotti, Eddie Burton, Philly Joe Veasey, Ray Booth, Alibi Al, Harley Bryant, Waterdog and of course Don Watson. It was like the West Coast version of 7/11. :cool:
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Thing is, half those guys are from "back East" :p

Hey, what was Popcorn's real name? (I'm thinking John something...) Supposedly, he was a good player in his own right...


Eric
 
JoeyA said:
What the heck happened to Bubba? Is he still around?
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He lives over in Daphne or Fairhope (about 20 miles from Mobile) but gave up pool many years ago. I think he quit when he was just under 20 years old....He just turned 60 this month.

What a shame and a waste....Many said he was on the way to becoming the next Buddy Hall.

I think he got led astray by some scoundrels from the other side of town who were planning on skying-him-up and then making a quick fortune.

Well....he got skyed-up as I understand it but his mind started playing tricks on him. He got religion for awhile and then ended up not doing much of anything.

Many people still talk about him around here to this day although he probably hasn't shot pool competitively in 40 years.
 
jay helfert said:
I always wondered whatever happened to that guy.
P.S. He didn't want to play Cornbread, after 'Bread offered to play him some for a thousand a game. :rolleyes:
Red knew how to make them quiver! He turned a lot of pool players to jelly.
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See post 124 Jay.
My reply to JoeyA...

Thanks for remembering a great guy.
Bubba was an all around gentleman and good sport.

Kind of a cross between Buddy Hall and Steve Cook....;)
 
gbru said:
He lives over in Daphne or Fairhope (about 20 miles from Mobile) but gave up pool many years ago. I think he quit when he was just under 20 years old....He just turned 60 this month.

What a shame and a waste....Many said he was on the way to becoming the next Buddy Hall.

I think he got led astray by some scoundrels from the other side of town who were planning on skying-him-up and then making a quick fortune.

Well....he got skyed-up as I understand it but his mind started playing tricks on him. He got religion for awhile and then ended up not doing much of anything.

Many people still talk about him around here to this day although he probably hasn't shot pool competitively in 40 years.
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Very interesting story. Pool players often live unusual lifestyles and their journeys are "fraught with peril" (thanks Grady).
 
freddy the beard said:
Apparently you go back pretty far my friend. Dinty Moore's was an old time pool hall frequented by Marcel Camp, Rabbit, Kilroy, etc., in its heyday. I dont think it made it to the 70s.
Rabbit did go on the road since he was originally from Philly. He also left Miami and moved up to Detroit and hung out at the Rack.
When he was in Miami he lived with Bunny Rogoff's brother, Sol.

Beard
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An old friend of mine was in the service and stationed in Georgia during the early 60's. He traveled a bit with Handsome Danny Jones, Bernard Rogoff and Joe Bowman.
He often has told me how "Bunny" would go into a poolroom and ask if anyone wanted to play some "Highs and Lows" for $22 a game. He also tells how Bunny would often change his appearance so he would not be recognized. Apparently, he had a good score at a pool room with a pretty good player. Then, Bunny goes back around a year later, sporting a beard, plays the same guy and was on his way to another good score. But, when Bunny played some shot a certain way, the dude recognizes the play and says, "Hey, I played you before and couldn't win. I know who you are." And Bunny lost his action.
My friend, also, was at the Congress Bowl when Rabbit put a hurtin' on Fats, playing one pocket.
He has a lot of other good stories, too.
 
Alf Taylor said:
Tony was my buddy in the 70s and we made some money together around Arizona. One thing I liked about him was his attitude about the game. Things like table size or condition meant nothing to him. He said "They're all the same, felt and six pockets." Tony's fast and loose style of play could make him get through a rack of nine ball before his opponent set the triangle down. Good guy. Wasn't hung up on money. Just liked action. The pool world could use some players more like Tony. Television viewers, who would typically go fix a drink while one of today's players are figuring what safety to shoot, wouldn't budge. His play was exciting. Not knocking today's champions. Some of them are bordering on perfection.

I was living in Colorado in the 90s when I saw a TV commercial that opened with an obvious pool match. Dark room, player walking slowly around the table while the anncr is saying, softly "Mr. so and so is lining up to decide which ball to go for and blah." All of a sudden a hockey stick comes flying out of nowhere and hits the player across the stomach, which bends him double. It ends with the anncr saying "Billiards. Wouldn't hockey be more exciting?"
Keep it nice. Alfie
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RONNIE SYPHER was so nice, he didn't want to use his bright lights at all, fearing he might shine them in somebody's eyes.
He lived in Ocean City Maryland, which buzzes in he summer but is deserted in the winter. Ronnie said to releave boredom, he would take his boat and home made bombs to explode on one of the small islands. One went off in the boat and voila, a custom bridge hand.
Louis Bramblett was another player with missing fingers. He was a bit self concious about it until Puckett told him "Stick that thing out there. It'll shark those guys."
I'm sorry there wasn't a winer, I really am. I'll have to think of something else.

And Jay. Don't forget Sarge McDonald. Fierce playing old man that I took around in Dallas. Sarge didn't see the since in warm up strokes, only held the tip up to the ball, then drew back and shot. Played real good.
Keep it nice. Alfie
 
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Alf Taylor said:
RONNIE SYPHER was so nice, he didn't want to use his bright lights at all, fearing he might shine them in somebody's eyes.
He lived in Ocean City Maryland, which buzzes in he summer but is deserted in the winter. Ronnie said to releave boredom, he would take his boat and home made bombs to explode on one of the small islands. One went off in the boat and voila, a custom bridge hand.
Louis Bramblett was another player with missing fingers. He was a bit self concious about it until Puckett told him "Stick that thing out there. It'll shark those guys."
I'm sorry there wasn't a winer, I really am. I'll have to think of something else.

And Jay. Don't forget Sarge McDonald. Fierce playing old man that I took around in Dallas. Sarge didn't see the since in warm up strokes, only held the tip up to the ball, then drew back and shot. Played real good.
Keep it nice. Alfie
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Thanks Alfie (no one ever called you Alf!), Louis Bramlett was well known as "Little Hand" and was the second best player in Oklahoma after Norman Hitchcock. Doubtful he could have beaten Eufala (Glen Womack) at One Pocket either. Sarge was once upon a time stationed at Wright-Patterson outside of Dayton. He played a lot of money games around there in the 50's and early 60's. Played good too!
 
bbb said:
hey jay or any oklahoma guys
do you know mark coats (sp) ???
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Yeah another good player. Had a lot of success playing in bar table tourneys, won a bunch of them. I doubt he's retired, probably only in his early 50's now. His wife Bonnie played good too. Still does I think.

Anyone remember Louie Lemke? I really liked him. He was a very talented musician and could sing also. I saw him sit in with a few banks and acquit himself well. Died too young :(.
 
bbb said:
hey jay or any oklahoma guys
do you know mark coats (sp) ???
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Yeah another good player. Had a lot of success playing in bar table tourneys, won a bunch of them. I doubt he's retired, probably only in his early 50's now. His wife Bonnie played good too. Still does I think. Anyone remember Louie Lemke? I really liked him. He was a very talented musician and could sing also. I saw him sit in with a few bands and acquit himself well. Died too young :(.
 
topcat1953 said:
An old friend of mine was in the service and stationed in Georgia during the early 60's. He traveled a bit with Handsome Danny Jones, Bernard Rogoff and Joe Bowman.
He often has told me how "Bunny" would go into a poolroom and ask if anyone wanted to play some "Highs and Lows" for $22 a game. He also tells how Bunny would often change his appearance so he would not be recognized. Apparently, he had a good score at a pool room with a pretty good player. Then, Bunny goes back around a year later, sporting a beard, plays the same guy and was on his way to another good score. But, when Bunny played some shot a certain way, the dude recognizes the play and says, "Hey, I played you before and couldn't win. I know who you are." And Bunny lost his action.
My friend, also, was at the Congress Bowl when Rabbit put a hurtin' on Fats, playing one pocket.
He has a lot of other good stories, too.
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I knew Joey Bowman, from Johnson City, Tn, well. The end of the Rabbit/Fats story is that Fats lost 6/7/ or 8 hundred, but Fats returned the next day and broke Peter but he only won 2 or 3 hundred.

Beard
 
jay helfert said:
Yeah another good player. Had a lot of success playing in bar table tourneys, won a bunch of them. I doubt he's retired, probably only in his early 50's now. His wife Bonnie played good too. Still does I think.

Anyone remember Louie Lemke? I really liked him. He was a very talented musician and could sing also. I saw him sit in with a few banks and acquit himself well. Died too young :(.
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I saw Louie take 2nd in a big barbox tourney and every time he won a game the crowd watching was chanting, "Louie, Louie" and I remember thinking what's up with that? Well it turns out he died a short time later and people knew he was terminal during that tourney, so everyone was rooting for him. Pancreas cancer I think.
 
Heard Joe Veasey announce to all that could hear, that he had "more moves than Allied Van Lines".
Pete Fusco's Family Recreation, 9-Ball Tournament, Fall 1991
 
richiebalto said:
Hey JAY,dont forget about (CIGAR)TOM VANOVER BEST PLAYER TO EVER COME OUT OF MARYLAND(won 9 straight maryland all arounds in the 70s through 80s)and played any pool playing that came threw baltimore at that time,including playing strickland even 9ball for 15 hrs to a draw at 50 a game back in the low 80s!
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One of the best tournament matches I ever saw was a match between Cigar Tom and Dave Daya, 1994. It was the finals of a $25 or $30 entry fee tournament at Diamond Billiards, in Lancaster, race to 9. Daya was up 7-0 and the race went hill-hill, with Daya winning. There was not one missed ball or missed safe, other than an occasional dry break.
 
jay helfert said:
Bill Mielke - A damn good shortstop out of Wisconsin. I saw him grind down a lot of good players, he had no quit in him. His drinking may have gotten the best of him.
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When Bill use to hang out at the Plush Cue in Whittier, CA, he was hitting the balls pretty good.

He was playing Woody Gumphrey's <sp?> 8 ahead for 1K, on a bar table with the big ball at the Ron de Voo Lounge in Whittier.

Bill was down 3 games and then proceeded to break the balls and he hit his knuckles on the table and was bleeding pretty bad. He asked to finish the session the next day and Woody declined. Bill won that game, and was now down 2 games. He broke and ran 10 racks in a row for the win. The look on Bill's face was uncanny, talk about being in the zone!

Yep, he was partying like a champion too...
 
Anzan said:
New to the Forum, I remember my cousin Mike Ives taking me to a pool hall in DC when I was 14. He was 16. I got one shot before he had a game and I sat against the wall while he played straight pool all night. I don't think he ever had a job after being a writer for Roanoke News, just played pool. He was a pretty good player and lives on his boat in Fla. now. Haven't seen him for 25 years or more. I'm sure he could give me some tips!
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Yes, you could see Mike Ives every day shooting pool at the Sportsman in down town Roanoke. My parents were so mad when he was longer a writer for the Ronoke times. I was mad when he left Roanoke because he was a character in the pool hall. I have the only book he wrote which was a collection of his impromptu Roanoke Times newpaper articles. What I like best about Mike Ive's 'My Turn' columns is that he talked about the pool scene in Roanoke Va. He was so funny too, like when he described Red Terry as a beserk drum major waving his pool cue and running around the table 100 mph while taking Thomas Elkin's money after the Roanoke 9 ball tournament (I finished 2nd btw with Mike in the tournament). Red Terry was indeed the faster player who ever played pool. Personally, I always thought Thomas was the better pool player, especially for 'bigger' money and Red was the best $2 $5 player in the world LOL, and just to mention also that there was no way I could ever touch these players (only in a short match where anything can happen).

Just wanted also to mention Sweat Head, who played Winnie Bennie in one pocket - I never know who won - can someone help me out here?
 
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Great thread.

Did anyone mention Greg Stevens? I've heard many stories about him. The most common is that he was the best chemical player ever and that while on it he beat everyone. Played at the LeCue in Houston. He found religion, moved to Oklahoma, opened a pool room and gained a bunch of weight.

The story I heard was that one of his road partners traveled up from Houston to visit him many years later. And while he was hanging around Greg's pool room he asked the Manager how Greg had been playing lately and the Mananger replied, "Greg, doesn't know how to play pool". No one at that pool hall knew of Greg's fame in the billiard world.
 
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