New gallery of images from the Dallas pool scene in the 1980s

[RBC]

Bill,

Put me down for being interested.

I didn't arrive in Dallas until about 1990, but I do recognize and still know at least a couple of the people in that picture.

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

 

[BillPorter]

Bill,

Put me down for being interested.

I didn't arrive in Dallas until about 1990, but I do recognize and still know at least a couple of the people in that picture.

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

Hi Royce,

I'm going to give you a compliment, so you'd better sit down! I hold you in such high regard, for your product and customer service, that I'd put the gallery up if you were the only one who asked for it. But it will take a couple of weeks, OK?

 

[Thecoats]

Don't You Guys Know that...

Can you name this Dallas player of some years ago? Whoops! Forget to resize the image. Sorry!

is Janette Lee before the surgeries and estrogen. Can't you see the Black Widow tattoo

 

[BillPorter]

is Janette Lee before the surgeries and estrogen. Can't you see the Black Widow tattoo

Damn!!! I should have known someone on the board would know the answer!!!

 

[jay helfert]

I'll give you a hint about the guy with the tatoo: first name was Larry. And you probably beat him? As I recall, Puckett wasn't all that generous with his cash. And as for Dick Lane, I'll bet you would have been even less inclined to play him a little 14.1. Maybe if he had played 70 no count?

I just emailed Mike Haines in Dallas to ask him to chime in on this thread as he may be able to answer your question about the chain of pool halls.

We played 9-Ball for some cheap bet like ten a game. I did win a little. Maybe six to eight games before he quit. Jimmy, Larry. Okay, I didn't remember. It was some common name was all I recalled. But I did remember that black widow tattoo. I was curious about it, but never said a word to him.

Play Dick Lane 14.1? Are you crazy? We couldn't even have a conversation about that, and he knew it.

 

[BillPorter]

We played 9-Ball for some cheap bet like ten a game. I did win a little. Maybe six to eight games before he quit. Jimmy, Larry. Okay, I didn't remember. It was some common name was all I recalled. But I did remember that black widow tattoo. I was curious about it, but never said a word to him.

Play Dick Lane 14.1? Are you crazy? We couldn't even have a conversation about that, and he knew it.

Yep, it was Larry Parker. I knew him from back in the 1960s. To tell you had bad my memory has gotten, I know that he and I did a cue deal back around 1963. It was a Viking cue with three shafts. But I don't remember whether I sold it to him or he sold it to me! BTW, I understand that Dick is no longer involved with pool, at least as far as playing pool goes. I guess he still gets a monthly check from Clicks.

 

[jay helfert]

Maybe the chain of pool halls Jay is thinking about are the "Speeds" pool halls of which there were around 10 in the Dallas area at the time - mostly competing against Clicks Billiards. Clicks ended up purchasing a few of them but they eventually went out of business. Dick Lane made Clicks a success, being a pro player and a person of integrity. Speeds never had anyone to back them who had talent on the pro-tournament level.

Yes, it was Speeds. I may have played Black Widow Larry in one of them. Puckett was steering me around. He took a cut of whatever I won, and kept everything he won. Pretty fair deal eh.

I have to say I loved being around U.J. He was a very funny fella, and kept me laughing all day for a week or more. He still liked to get out and hustle and chase girls, even though he was over 80. I can hear him now, when we were chopping up a couple hundred bucks, "Cmonnnn Jay, you know I need it more than you. You got more money than Fort Knox". He would say this real sweet and slow. And then he would cackle, and steal an extra 20 from me.

Like Freddie said, how can you not like a guy like that.

 

[BillPorter]

Here's a farily rare shot of U.J. without a hat

Yes, it was Speeds. I may have played Black Widow Larry in one of them. Puckett was steering me around. He took a cut of whatever I won, and kept everything he won. Pretty fair deal eh.

I have to say I loved being around U.J. He was a very funny fella, and kept me laughing all day for a week or more. He still liked to get out and hustle and chase girls, even though he was over 80. I can hear him now, when we were chopping up a couple hundred bucks, "Cmonnnn Jay, you know I need it more than you. You got more money than Fort Knox". He would say this real sweet and slow. And then he would cackle, and steal an extra 20 from me.

Like Freddie said, how can you not like a guy like that.

Here's your guy:

 

[jay helfert]

Here's your guy:

Now that's a rare photo of U.J. without his hat. He ALWAYS wore that big black wide rimmed hat. I rarely saw him without it on. He only took it off when he went to bed, and sometimes just pulled it down over his eyes.

By the way, U.J. could sleep with his eyes partly open. And he could see too, even when he was asleep. Don't ask me how. But I could come into the room and he was snoring away. Right away, he would say "How'd we do Jay?"

 

[gypsy_soul]

Mike Haines has suggested creating a new Smugmug gallery using photos he shot about 20 years ago in Dallas, mostly at Clicks Billiards. Granted that this gallery will have a pretty limited appeal, but we think there are enough DFW people out there to make it worth doing. I will probably take me a couple of weeks to edit the 50+ images and put them into a gallery, but I thought I check on the interest before I spend the time to do it. If there are even 8-10 of you guys who want to see Jimmy Foster, Larry Fisher, Dick Lane, Frank Thompson, Jack Potter, Johnny Sanchez, Eddie Phillips, Mickey Stone and some others, then we'll get it together for you. Any interest?

I’d like to have some for my pool room , memories . I grew up in the 80s -90s Dallas , remember all of it

 

[smiling_Hans]

Women were so much prettier then.