In this second installment of our four-part conversation with legendary cue artist Mike Massey, we continue to trace the winding road of one of the most fascinating figures in billiards history. From the highs of tournament victories to the depths of personal struggles, Mike shares his remarkable story with unflinching honesty, warmth, and humor.

We pick up in the mid-1980s, a time when Massey was rebuilding his life after personal turmoil, finding new love with his wife Francine, and embarking on a life on the road filled with pool cues, dogs, cats, and countless miles in a small Honda. Listeners will hear how he balanced the dual demands of being a competitive player and a globe-trotting entertainer, performing exhibitions that dazzled audiences and, at times, distracted from tournament success.

Mike recounts the early days of artistic pool and trick shots, when he became a pioneer of the craft, setting the standard with creativity and unmatched shot-making ability. From the famous “boot shot” to his dominance in Trick Shot Magic, he describes how exhibitions became both his livelihood and his ministry, a unique way to share his faith while entertaining crowds across the world.

Alongside co-hosts Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson and Mike Gonzalez, Mike also reflects on his experiences in Europe, where television exposure on Eurosport gave him a platform years before the U.S. audience caught on. His stories of arm-wrestling fellow pros, bench-pressing over 400 pounds at age 60, and competing against snooker greats provide a window into the colorful personality behind the legend.

This episode captures the resilience, showmanship, and pioneering spirit that made Mike Massey not only a world champion but also the greatest trick shot artist the game has ever seen.

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Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In this opening installment of Legends of the Cue, we sit down with one of the most colorful and compelling figures the game of pool has ever known—Mike “Tennessee Tarzan” Massey. Widely celebrated as the greatest trick shot artist of all time, Massey is also a fierce competitor, a winner of major nine-ball titles, and a Hall of Fame member whose story reaches far beyond the table.

Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher, and Mark Wilson guide the conversation as Massey begins to recount a remarkable life shaped by hardship, hustle, and resilience. From a turbulent childhood in Loudon, Tennessee—marked by poverty, addiction in the family, and a precocious turn to gambling—to discovering an almost instinctive gift for pool as a teenager, Massey’s early story is raw, unfiltered, and unforgettable.

Listeners will hear how, at just 17, he joined the military and found himself winning tournaments across Europe while painting murals for his battalion. From there, he hit the road, navigating the dangerous, high-stakes world of hustling in bars and backrooms across America. Along the way, he crossed paths with legendary gamblers like Titanic Thompson, faced life-threatening encounters, and endured battles with drugs that nearly consumed him.

This episode doesn’t shy away from the darker chapters of Massey’s journey, but it also sets the stage for the redemption, faith, and triumphs to come. His candid storytelling offers a rare glimpse into the hidden corners of pool’s underworld and the resilience it takes to rise from it.

Join us for Part One of this four-part series as Mike Massey begins to share his extraordinary life story—a tale of survival, transformation, and a love for the game that would ultimately define him.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

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Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

After three episodes of stories, lessons, and unfiltered honesty, Legends of the Cue brings you the powerful conclusion to our four-part conversation with one of the most fascinating figures in cue sports: John Schmidt — the man who broke Willie Mosconi’s 65-year-old straight pool high run record.

Known to fans as “Mr. 600,” John opens up about the physical and mental toll of chasing greatness, from pounding thousands of balls a day until his body ached, to embracing fitness, nutrition, and even the right shoes and chalk as critical tools of the trade. He recalls the pivotal shift in strategy that allowed him to reach his historic 626-ball run — the humility it took to change a break shot he’d hit the same way for decades, and the lessons learned pushing past 400 into uncharted territory.

But triumph didn’t come without turbulence. John candidly shares the darker side of his achievement: the skepticism, harsh criticism, and even hostility that followed. In his words, the adoration and the animosity revealed as much about human nature as about pool itself. Through it all, he kept perspective — focusing on performance, consistency, and the ability to thrive under pressure.

The conversation also revisits Schmidt’s time representing Team USA under Captain Mark Wilson at the Mosconi Cup, the camaraderie and challenges of team competition, and the unforgettable atmosphere of playing in front of raucous European crowds. Finally, John reflects on the career “Mulligans” he’d take if given the chance, and how he truly wishes to be remembered — not only as a great player, but as a good person.

This finale delivers the wit, humility, and raw passion of a man who pushed the limits of straight pool, and himself, to the edge of history.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

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Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In this third installment of our four-part conversation with pool great John Schmidt—affectionately known as Mr. 600—we journey through the emotional highs and crushing lows that shaped one of the most fascinating careers in cue sports.

From flicking cockroaches out of his cereal on the morning of a U.S. Open to hoisting oversized winner’s checks in front of skeptical neighbors, Schmidt’s path to greatness was anything but ordinary. He opens up about the financial struggles and personal setbacks that nearly derailed his career, his surprising refuge in golf, and the critical turning points that brought him back to the table. We relive his U.S. Open victory, his tense debut on the pressure-packed stage of the Mosconi Cup alongside legends like Earl Strickland, and his triumph at the Derby City Classic—where street smarts were as essential as cue skills.

Schmidt also takes us inside his 2012 World Straight Pool Championship run, where he toppled icons like Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, and Efren Reyes. But the heart of this episode is his relentless, almost monastic pursuit of Willie Mosconi’s 526-ball high-run record. With candor, humor, and gritty detail, John recounts the grueling months of preparation, the physical pain, the near misses, the unlikely allies who stepped in to rack balls and provide support, and finally the magic day in 2019 when he ran 626 to eclipse a record thought untouchable for 65 years.

Equal parts inspiring and raw, Schmidt’s story is about more than numbers on a scoresheet. It’s about perseverance, obsession, and the quiet belief that you can push past the limits others set for you.

Join us as we explore the defining chapter in John Schmidt’s remarkable life and career.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In part two of our four-part deep dive with “Mr. 600” John Schmidt—the man who broke Willie Mosconi’s legendary 65-year-old straight pool record—we follow his remarkable transition from ambitious newcomer to rising professional.

Schmidt pulls no punches as he recalls the leap of faith that sent him on the road with little more than $1,200, a cue, and an old Honda Accord. Along the way, he gained priceless lessons on tough equipment, in hostile rooms, and against opponents of every caliber. He shares how a brutal initiation into one-pocket at the hands of gambling legend Jack Cooney cost him dearly—but also laid the foundation for his greatest long-term success.

With candor and humor, John reflects on the mindset that separates champions: visualization, body control, and the ability to stay still under immense pressure. He and fellow pool greats Mark Wilson and Allison Fisher draw parallels between pool, golf, and even baseball, underscoring how discipline and environment shape greatness more than natural talent.

The episode crescendos with John’s unforgettable first professional tournament in 1999 at New York’s Roseland Ballroom. From playing his idol Mike Sigel under the lights, to an encouraging word from Steve Mizerak, to an unlikely romance sparked by a scorekeeper in the front row—Schmidt’s wide-eyed plunge into the big stage is equal parts raw, funny, and inspiring. By the time he notched breakthrough wins at the Canadian Open and the Legends of Straight Pool, the pool world had begun to recognize that John Schmidt was here to stay.

This installment captures the grit, heartbreak, and serendipity that define the early chapters of a champion’s story.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In this episode of Legends of the Cue, Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson, and Mike Gonzalez sit down with one of pool’s modern legends—John Schmidt, affectionately known as “Mr. 600.” Schmidt etched his name in billiards history by surpassing Willie Mosconi’s fabled 526-ball straight pool record, a mark that stood unchallenged for 65 years. But as listeners quickly learn, his story is far richer than a single number.

From his humble beginnings in Keokuk, Iowa—born on a bridge, no less—to a childhood shaped by blue-collar toughness and resilience, Schmidt’s path was anything but conventional. Growing up in small towns, delivering newspapers, dreaming of a BMX bike, and competing in youth sports, he eventually stumbled into pool almost by accident. What started as casual games with his younger brother in California soon lit a fire that would carry him into the heart of America’s pool halls.

Schmidt recalls the fascination of seeing a cue ball draw back for the first time, his early struggles as a self-described “walking ATM” for seasoned players, and how observation, grit, and money matches forged his competitive edge. With candid humor, he paints vivid scenes of smoky pool rooms, $10 sets that felt life-or-death, and the intoxicating blend of gambling and learning that shaped his formative years.

Throughout, Schmidt’s love for golf, respect for mentors like Bobby Hunter, and admiration for fellow champions add color to a narrative that is as much about character as it is about cueing balls. Listeners are given an intimate look at the roots of a man whose resilience, fearlessness, and relentless drive would eventually propel him onto the world stage.

This is the first of four conversations tracing Schmidt’s remarkable journey—equal parts grit, heart, and history.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In this final installment of our four-part “Legends of the Cue” series with Hall of Fame great LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown, we celebrate the laughter, the triumphs, and the unforgettable memories that define her remarkable life and career.

LoreeJon takes us behind the scenes of her hiatus from the game to focus on family, sharing how raising her children, caddying for her son on the golf course, and bonding with her daughter over horses became her “therapy” away from the table. We follow her inspiring return to competitive play in 2017, capped by a stunning win at the Super Billiards Expo, and hear her reflections on what it means to compete, persevere, and sometimes rely on a little luck.

The conversation turns lighthearted as LoreeJon recalls the camaraderie and hijinks that made life on tour so memorable—from “basketball with spit bubbles” on airplanes, to cake fights in hotel rooms, to accidentally driving off in the wrong rental car. These stories, told with humor and affection, capture the unique sisterhood of the women’s professional tour.

We also revisit LoreeJon’s proudest moments: her inductions into the BCA Hall of Fame (2002), WPBA Hall of Fame (2008), and most recently the Polish-American Hall of Fame (2022), each honoring not only her extraordinary accomplishments but also her enduring legacy in the sport. LoreeJon shares her excitement for the upcoming Cue Queens documentary, which aims to spotlight the history and future of women in pool.

Finally, in our closing “three questions,” LoreeJon reflects on the one shot she’d love to take back, what she’s learned about time and perspective, and how she hopes to be remembered—as a kind, strong, and family-centered woman who never gave up.

It’s the perfect bow on a legendary career and a heartfelt conversation you won’t want to miss.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In this third installment of our four-part conversation with Hall of Famer LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown, we dive deep into the defining years of her remarkable career — a journey marked by triumphs, challenges, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

LoreeJon takes us behind the curtain of professional pool in the 1980s and 90s, recalling the whirlwind of tournaments that carried her from local tri-state competitions to Japan’s celebrated stages, where she became both champion and celebrity. She shares hilarious stories of magazine photo shoots gone wrong, dress codes that stirred controversy, and the unforgettable moments when camaraderie and competition collided on the world stage.

We hear her candid reflections on rivals like Jean Balukas, the pressures of mixed doubles play alongside legends such as Mike Sigel and CJ Wiley, and the unique difficulties of balancing family life with championship ambitions. From winning titles while pregnant to raising three children on the road, LoreeJon reveals the resilience and humor that defined her both on and off the table.

Joined by co-hosts Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher, and Mark Wilson, the conversation also explores what separates great players from those who can’t quite cross the finish line, the role of fundamentals and mechanics in lasting success, and how confidence and passion remain the ultimate keys to championship performance.

Through anecdotes filled with laughter, honesty, and nostalgia, LoreeJon’s story captures not only her personal journey but also the golden era of women’s pool — a time when ESPN lights shone brightly, crowds filled arenas, and the legends of the game left their indelible mark.

Tune in for an inspiring and entertaining episode that cements LoreeJon’s place as one of the true icons of cue sports history.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”