Louis Lemke

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
Having played now for 56 years, I've played with and against many greats who have passed on. Among my former teammates who are no longer with us are Louis Lemke, Billy Steele and Jimmy Scrima.
 

HollyWood

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mr. Louis Lemke sure had smutz(style)

I loved the music he played us. I remember before and after the Camel Tour Days. I helped sell the (Benson recently(3 shafts. ) I wear Flip flops, Sandals to play in.(in memory of) It helps me think and play causal.He did visit his friends ,Steve Morris and Dale Chilton , Joe T. He did look great in a tux-. riding in a Cadillac-- rest in peace!! Mr Louis Lemke
 

Blackjack

Illuminati Blacksmack
Silver Member
Awesome player, great friend, and a very talented singer. I really miss Louie.
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Louie Lemke was a real nice guy........

Having played now for 56 years, I've played with and against many greats who have passed on. Among my former teammates who are no longer with us are Louis Lemke, Billy Steele and Jimmy Scrima.

Hi there Don,

As you probably know louie and myself battled it out in many tournaments over the years.

He was always trying to help me with my eating habits. He always took me to organic restuarants when we were at tounaments and had time to spare. The food was always good and it inspired me to eat much better.

He was a pretty special person and was really good for the game.

I'll never forget the first time I saw him. He was in a tux and was playing pool at a poolhall in Minneapolis. I don't know what the reason was for the tux but he didn't seem to ever miss a ball on that 9 footer that night. Him and another guy were trying to match up. They had already played awhile and the other guy was trying to adjust.

The adjustment didn't help the other guy. Louis just kept running out.

When I found out Louis was sick, it was like he was gone the next week. I was living in Kansas City at the time.

He was well liked by everyone I knew and could he ever play.

I considered him one of my best friends in this pool world.

I feel fortuanate that we all had him in this pool world of our while we had him .

I know if he saw this post here on AZ he'd just look at it and smile.

Who knows, Maybe he can? :bow-down::angel:
 

worktheknight

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great Post, played against and mostly watched Louie. He was awesome up here in Minnesota. Billy Steele........... wow......is all I can say. For Jimmy, to be mentioned with Louie and Billy, had to be a show worth watching !!!
Thanks for the post,
 

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
Got a personal email asking about the legendary Red Sails teams. Red Sails was a motel/campground/billiard center on Lake Onalaska, just north of La Crosse, WI.
It was the center of pool action in La Crosse in the '80s and sponsored many successful teams. We won one national title, two state titles, and countless other team and singles events. Our team for the '86-'87 season may have been the best: Russ "Whitey" Lee, Louie Lemke, Billy Steele, Bobby Schultz, Jay Gleason and myself. We were known as "the vegetarians", and only one team member drank alcohol at that time. Louie and Billy are no longer with us; if they were, I'd put this team up against any league team you can name.
Jimmy Scrima played on my '92 Rockville "Breakers" team that took 3rd at the BCA nationals, and we also had Ed Kiess, Greg Pappas, the late Doug Sharp and myself. Among other great players I was fortunate enough to team up with were Mike Haggerty, Timmy Stellpflug, Lenny Jaszewski and Pat O'Neill.
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For some reason I thought of Louie a week or so ago. I only met him once in 1987 and got to watch him play some strong 9 ball.
I was wondering what had happened to him since then.
He went to one of the bars here in Columbus and beat all the better players in town and finally one of them realised he was shooting opposite handed!
 

Markwoychik

New member
I'm looking for 8 ball blues by Louie Lemke. Although I can't find it this page popped up and a few memories of Louie did as well.
Great guy with good advice. We were playing a 3 state tournament once in St Paul. It was Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota.
A few pieces of advice from Louis. The tournament was just starting and Louie told us guys, we should eat at least 2 hours before the start and eat light because the blood goes to your stomach to digest the food and you wanted it to be in your brain. (Louie was a deep thinker) and thinking back it was good advice. Now a more humorous situation. we were in the last match of a round robin to see who went to the finals. I was 2nd to last and Louie was last. With 10 points a game 3 for the 8 and one for each ball pocketed we needed 16 to win. I'm playing this guy from South Dakota with absolutely no pool morels as I came to find out. He's up and he hits the cue by accident and it travels 18 inches, hits nothing and I say foul. He looks at me and asks foul? I didn't even hit the cue? Well everybody in the audience agrees with me. I call a judge and he says unless you called for a judge and they saw it, it's his word against yours. I'm like why would I call a judge when it was just a routine shot? He shrugs it off and the game resumes. Instead of an easy run and me getting 9 points I do end up winning but get 7 points. Now it's down to Louie and his opponent. Louie needs 9 points. I told Louie what happened and he says I got this. Well his opponent from the same team as the liar breaks and makes one on the break. Now Louie needs every ball. Louie calls a judge and says I need a time out. The judge asks why? Louie says I have to take a crap.
The judge looks at him and says can't it wait? Louie says no. Well the games postponed. Louie comes back an hour later, yes and hour later. The guy is obviously very flustered. Misses and easy shot, and Louie proceeds to make an amazing run out starting with a bank in between balls. We win the match by one point and the other team congratulates us, and apologizes for their teammate who they say will never play on their team again as there were 20 witnesses as to his unprofessional behavior. Louie was a great guy, smart and kind, however if you screwed up when on his team, he was never one to mix words and would set you straight.
Rest in peace Louie
and if anyone has the 8 ball blues. Please post the address.
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Louie and I too go waaaaaaaaaay back.
Geno.... Louie also talked me into & then took me to my first vegetarian restaurant in Reno early 80's. After that, I kind of enjoyed Tofu. :)
But to make this story interesting, to me was this.
I was in New Orleans years ago at a festival, and low and behold I ran into Louie with his new girlfriend, VW bus and his guitar.
I think when he was diagnosed (pancreatic cancer?) two weeks later he was gone.
One of thee best good guys out there. A light in a dark room.

Didn't the pool community give em the nickname ''south side louie''? or was that another player?
In a recent post of the ''bead man'' passing, I threw in Louies name, because these two men stood above most all other pool players because of their great character and person and smiling attitude of life.
 
Top