Sad news.
My condolences to his friends and family
My condolences to his friends and family
Hawaiian brian
- Thread starter Baby Huey
- Start date
I met Brian when he was at House of Billiards on 6th Street in Los Angeles in the mid- 1970's. I had taken a friend, Jerry Chapel, to L.A. to get some action. We were doing well until we ran into Brian. After Brian beat him a couple of sets, one of the regulars came up to me and said "you're grooming your boy all wrong." That was no sh*t.
Brian was the first top player I saw in action and I learned a lot just watching him. He took on all comers day and night. He was very nice and would play you for $5 all day long.
Brian was the first top player I saw in action and I learned a lot just watching him. He took on all comers day and night. He was very nice and would play you for $5 all day long.
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I played Brian on a couple occasions in before mid 80's. Brian was as everyone says, a top person and a great player.
I loved gambling with him. We was tough to beat but, win or lose, it was always a pleasure to play him.
RIP Brian, you are already missed sir!
Jeff Crouch
I loved gambling with him. We was tough to beat but, win or lose, it was always a pleasure to play him.
RIP Brian, you are already missed sir!
Jeff Crouch
Great photo. Brian was never without his shades. Who's the tall, skinny kid shooting? He looks like he can play a little.
it's good to see your avatar again
Great thread like the old days on AZ.
RIP Hawaiian Brian
Aloha mr. Hashimoto
I will miss my dear friend, Brian. When he first came to the mainland around 1970 he stopped in Tucson and I was his first match. We played 20. nine ball for a couple of hours and broke even. It didn't take long for me to realize how lucky I was to get off that easy. He asked me if I would go on the road with hi, he said he needed me to talk up action for him. We tore up the south and for the next year of so I had the pleasure of his cool demeanor and straight shooting. Once, in deep Mississippi a man putting gas in our car said, "Hey! You got a China man in there with you." Now, if the phrase Chinaman isn't racist enough, like something out of Blazing Saddles, he actually said "China man." Brian thought that was a hoot so we decided to use it. I would tell people, "I got me a China man who want to shoot some pool for money." The yokels ate it up and more than one said. " Chinaman, how you shoot with them little eyes? " Brian would say, "Me shoot good. Me see good." or something to that effect. I'm telling you, we had a blast. We went to Jacksonville Florida so he could play Harley Bryant. Brian beat him. On the nest table was a young guy practicing with proficiency. Brian told me to play him some. I said, Brian, this guy runs out real good." He said, "Alfie, everyone runs out until you make them stop running out." Brian and I always remained good friends. I will not forget him him.
REST IN PEACE DEAR FRIEND. Alfie
I will miss my dear friend, Brian. When he first came to the mainland around 1970 he stopped in Tucson and I was his first match. We played 20. nine ball for a couple of hours and broke even. It didn't take long for me to realize how lucky I was to get off that easy. He asked me if I would go on the road with hi, he said he needed me to talk up action for him. We tore up the south and for the next year of so I had the pleasure of his cool demeanor and straight shooting. Once, in deep Mississippi a man putting gas in our car said, "Hey! You got a China man in there with you." Now, if the phrase Chinaman isn't racist enough, like something out of Blazing Saddles, he actually said "China man." Brian thought that was a hoot so we decided to use it. I would tell people, "I got me a China man who want to shoot some pool for money." The yokels ate it up and more than one said. " Chinaman, how you shoot with them little eyes? " Brian would say, "Me shoot good. Me see good." or something to that effect. I'm telling you, we had a blast. We went to Jacksonville Florida so he could play Harley Bryant. Brian beat him. On the nest table was a young guy practicing with proficiency. Brian told me to play him some. I said, Brian, this guy runs out real good." He said, "Alfie, everyone runs out until you make them stop running out." Brian and I always remained good friends. I will not forget him him.
REST IN PEACE DEAR FRIEND. Alfie
Alfie,
Great story.
Brian used to tell me about the times he portrayed a Chinese wok cook who didn't speak English and wandered into a pool room.
Brian came to Marked Tree, Arkansas back around 1970 and won a lot of money in a tournament there and gambling. I worked in a pool hall in South East Missouri and heard people coming back and saying, "that Japanese guy was beating everybody".
Best person I ever met and went to Arkansas to watch play and bet on was your brother, Jack, back around the same time.
I met Jack in the pool hall where I was working as a kid.
Here is a link to a thread I wrote about him in 2011.
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=240953&highlight=tyler
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Thanks Alfie! I was one of his victims but I really, truly liked him. How could you not like him. He always told it to you straight and could back up his words with action. I watched him school players like Cole Dickson and Jimmy Reid who were two of the best I knew. I never went on the road with Brian, but we seemed to meet up in a lot of places. He would clue me in on what's happening and I would give him some juice if I made a score.
Brian was in Rusty's the night I won a telephone number playing Tonk and he never talked to me or made any sign that he knew me. He knew it would knock my action if he did. He and Jack Cooney sat at the bar and watched me trim these two rich guys out of their monstrous bankrolls. Later on I found out the first guy was also a One Pocket sucker and I didn't hang around long enough, but I had a poolroom to run in California and I had come that way just to see my buddy Fats get put in the HOF. Brian just laughed when he told me I could have won twice as much if I had stayed another few days.
He always took care of me when I went to Hawaii, making sure I had a good place to stay and no one bothered me when I played pool. He was pretty high up the food chain over there. Very well respected as I'm sure you know. My life was better for having known him. Brian was the original Mr. Cool! I'm glad I got to see him a few times the last few years in Vegas. We both had condos over there.
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Hawaiian Brian was a legend whose name I knew, but whom I'd never met, at least not until 2016.
I recall watching Brian introduce Rodney at the 2016 BCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The way they met is among the more improbable stories I've heard in pool.
As Rodney recalled in his own speech, Rodney had been in a detention center as a youth, and when he was released, he noticed a pool room across the street. He chose to check it out that same day. Surely, this was to be the beginning of Rodney's infatuation with pool .... but it wasn't.
When he introduced Rodney as an inductee, Brian had noted that the Rodney he first met was merely a video games junkie, and that Rodney didn't even play pool in the first few months in which he frequented Brian's pool room. Brian further related that Rodney's greatest skills were, at the time, in the areas of video games and, believe it or not, dancing. Brian and Rodney got to know each other even before Rodney hit a single ball.
Of course, the day Rodney tried his hand at pool came eventually, and Rodney's journey as a pool phenom began. Brian, of course, was instrumental in helping Rodney along.
I got to meet Brian just after the 2016 BCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and we chatted briefly. He was pleasant, courteous and congenial. The man was every bit as big as the legend!
RIP, Brian.
Brian matched up very good, he told me this, and I've used it, but not quite like Ha$himoto did.
He bet high, his own money.
We all have off days, and some rooms have a trap that'll beat you.
He knew when he lost & why and used that against his opponent.
He'd wait maybe months, till his game was ''where he wanted it''.
He'd call to find the score was still there and said he wanted more action.
He said he was nearby working the road, but he wasn't.
He then hopped on a plane and was there Quick, fresh and not road weary.
He would Double the Bet.
Difficult for an opponent to turn that offer down, since he won the last time.
Thx guys for the memories, headin' to Manhattan Beach/Sept, Tang Ho country
.bm
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
The last time I tried to go to Hawaiian Brian's it was closed due to covid. The time before that must have been some 10 years ago that I was there I was fortunate to pick up a couple of t-shirts from the place. Being that they're a little long in the tooth now I was thinking about passing them on but now they've become keepers.
Rest in peace, condolences...
Rest in peace, condolences...