Once again I feel so fortunate to have known and been friends with almost all these guys being discussed on here. First of all I will add my list of the greatest black pool players of all time in no particular order, other than my own opinion.
1. It has to be James Evans, the man considered by his peers to have been the equal of Ralph Greenleaf.
2. Marvin Henderson, possessor of the most beautiful stance and stroke (along with Ed Kelly) that I ever saw on any pool player. Marvin was a thing of beauty to watch play. He was like the icing on the cake the way he smooth stroked those balls. He caressed them rather than hit them. And the balls loved him back for treating them so well. And he was my dear, dear friend! My eyes water up when I talk about him. He always had a big smile for me and an invitation to join him, whether it was having a beer, going out for dinner or just some bar hopping for fun. And yes, we did have a smoke or two or three together, getting high and laughing at the world. It broke my heart when I heard he died. I loved Marvin Henderson the man, not the pool player.
3. Cisero Murphy, only one of the absolute best players of his generation, right up there with Lassiter, Balsis, Crane and all the rest. Another fine man, who was soft spoken and let his cue do the talking. He remained humble his entire life and never let the obstacles he faced discourage him or his love for the game. Probably my second best friend after Marvin. I had mad respect for Cisero. He was a legitimate world champion and worthy addition to the BCA HOF.
4. James "Rags" Wood, an early mentor to me when I traversed the black poolrooms of L.A. He was the king of the L.A. ghetto and everyone respected him, gangsters and players alike. Rags was known coast to coast and all the top players knew who he was. He could play all games and he led a stable of great black players from L.A., all of whom he influenced in their games. Another warm and friendly man who looked out for the underdog and lived a life of honor, even among the outlaws who populated the poolrooms of his era. He and Marvin had several memorable encounters with no clear cut winner.
5. Cliff Joyner, one of the most talented men with a cue that I ever met. For many years, he was the second best One Pocket player in the country, with only Efren rated ahead of him. He had the most powerful and consistent stroke of just about anybody, able to overpower the balls and the table, and make them do his bidding. He also became my friend and partner and we made some pretty good money in our time together. Contrary to popular opinion Cliff could play all games on any table, even winning both divisions of the U.S. Bar Table one year.
6. Cecil "The Serpent" Tugwell, one of the most talented cueman I ever met, but his temper got in the way of his greatness. When he got mad his game diminished. When he kept it under control he was near unbeatable. I took him on the road a couple of times and all he did was win, win, win. After he broke his wrist I thought he was done and a year later he came back playing left handed almost as good as he played righty before, but not quite. By far the best player I ever saw to switch hands during the prime of his career.
7. Bugs Rucker belongs right up there among the greats but I didn't know him nearly as well. I do know that he played the best One Pocket players (Ronnie, Shorty and Taylor) dead even and not many could do that. He, along with Taylor, were considered the best Bank Pool players of their era and maybe of all time.
That's about it for now. Thanks for reading.
