ICCS Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to the Late John Wright

Will,

This is such a nice tribute to John, I enjoyed reading every post. Thank you.

I never met John but do you know if was he involved in Cousin's Cues? They were popular in No CA when I lived there in the late 1980's-2000. I think John Henderson used one and sold some.

Again, thanks for taking the time to tribute one of the high end cues pioneers.

Dave
 
John Wright

I see John received much deserved recognition after he passed.

Unfortunately, John is still very much alive.

I recall the enthusiasm opening one of his envelops knowing someone cared enough to send actual photos of cues. Not color copies, but high gloss "Fuji color" photo (produced at an actual lab that takes film and changes it into some amazing cues). This was like heroine to a bonifiden addict. I am certain I have spent weeks looking and evaluating lost custom cue opportunities.

(Yes - IPAD generation - I know this sounds a little like a dream. But - I genuinely declare photo labs did actually exist.)

While you can not order a cue directly from John today - at such seemingly euphoric prices by today's standards. I contest John is still smiling and alive in those of us who were fortunate enough to have been on his mailing address.

Greg and Ian - hold your head up proudly - because in the hearts of pool - your Dad is genuinely loved. – And very much still present.
 
MY first cue deal was with John. Found him a Kersh... and he knew how to jelly roll... I was expecting like 50 bucks on a referrel but he threw me 3 c-notes...

JV (---1989 where has the time gone...
 
John's pictures and Bill's Joss Wests in those pictures are what hooked me. I collected a few cues here and there, but once a friend gave John's number and the pictures came... it was a game changer!

I did many deals with John and visited him at this house several times. If I wasn't sure about a cue, he would just send it. He said, "send it back if you don't like it, but you won't have to worry about sending it back... just send the money"!

Will - I'm glad you honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award... he was such an inspiration to so many collectors and dealers. I looked at every picture in the albums at the ICCS. I must have sat there an hour or so reminiscing about getting the same pictures and even seeing some cues I have owned.

I am proud to have known and done done business with John... he was one-of-a-kind just like most of his cues.
 
I knew John and this award was well deserved. He was so highly respected among collectors that he took some talented cuemakers, and promoted their work so hard that their prices literally tripled within months. When fax machines were the way deals were made he was king. I miss him too!
 
Cousin`s Cues

12squared said:
Will,

This is such a nice tribute to John, I enjoyed reading every post. Thank you.

I never met John but do you know if was he involved in Cousin's Cues? They were popular in No CA when I lived there in the late 1980's-2000. I think John Henderson used one and sold some.

Again, thanks for taking the time to tribute one of the high end cues pioneers.

Dave
Click to expand...


Hi Dave,

I don`t remember John having any Cousin`s Cues in his photo mailings. Not to say he didn`t sell one now and then, but not as a regular practice, as I recall.

Will
 
bstroud said:
I have most of John's pictures.

If anyone wants them please contact me.

Bill Stroud
Click to expand...

Bill it would be some sort of amazing tribute if those photos could be put up on a site somewhere showing just what John did to promote high end cues.

This is back in the day when getting pictures developed wasn't exactly cheap and he would have a written description of each cue and send all that out to anyone who asked.

Now people can't be bothered to take a decent picture even though they have the ability to take thousands and send them immediately.

John was a true icon and it's nice to see him honored.
 
Hi,

John Wright was my neighbor here in Palatine and I knew him since 1978. I bought my first Joss West and Kersenbrock from him before high end cue prices quadrupled in price. Knowing John and what he created as an expert trailblazing cue broker I truly believe that John had just as much influence in that market sea change as the very talented group of upper crust CMs he harbengered within the US and Japan.

John was someone who loved pool and IMHO was capable but not as consistent with his game as he aspired. But when he got on his personal A Game he would bear down and hold his chalk in his teeth while he was shooting. I have seen John beat some awesome players when he was focused chomping on that chalk.

I am sure John is in heaven and he is carrying that Oneil cue case.

The award is a no brainer and I am glad we all remember him as a character and good person that he was.

Rick G
 
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All,

I`ve received several PMs and emails from people who are very pleased with John Wright receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Several related a personal experience or two with me privately.

John was quite the man, extremely cue knowledgeable, top flight salesman, world class honest and friendly person.

If you have a memory you wish to share, please add to the thread. Thanks.

Will Prout
 
Hi Guys,

A friend of mine was by the shop last month and I took a pic of John's old Oneil case with some of John's test shafts.


Rick

IMG_3859.jpg
 
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CueCaps said:
I started this site a while back, with John Wright's photographs.....
It takes so much time and effort to scan/copy/crop/reduce/file/upload...:thud:

There's more that a hundred more....:yikes:
I have a hard time to keep up...
But...

John... This is for you...... :thumbup:
Hope you all enjoy what little I've posted..
Click on the photos to enlarge.... :wink:

http://johnwrightcollection.weebly.com/

Alton ...... :)


http://johnwrightcollection.weebly.com/
Click to expand...

Thank you Alton. Thank you!!! This is like a trip down memory lane. I had so many old catalogs and John's pictures that are all gone now. To many moves between then and now.

I remember being in Germany and eagerly awaiting the pics and sharing them with all my friends saying "these are cues!!!".

I remember getting this set with this Danny Tibbits cue and just staring at it for a long time marveling at the ingenuity and creativity.

__2973521.jpg


Even now the pictures of John's offerings have a much higher average than many of the cue dealers today. There is also something that is a little more magical in seeing the cues in a line up rather than one at a time. Sometimes I feel like there is too much detail shown online. When a cue is blown up so much that you see the insect bites in the wood it loses something for me. John's pictures, normal sized photos excited the imagination and yearning in my mind. Oh I understand that with the web you need to show the detail as much as possible or be left behind. But this reminds me of a simpler time when we just had still images and our imagination to work with.
 
CueCaps said:
I started this site a while back, with John Wright's photographs.....
It takes so much time and effort to scan/copy/crop/reduce/file/upload...:thud:

There's more that a hundred more....:yikes:
I have a hard time to keep up...
But...

John... This is for you...... :thumbup:
Hope you all enjoy what little I've posted..
Click on the photos to enlarge.... :wink:

http://johnwrightcollection.weebly.com/

Alton ...... :)


http://johnwrightcollection.weebly.com/
Click to expand...

Alton

This is great,

Thanks

Kevin
 
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