Legends of the Cue

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Legends of the Cue

Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson & Mike Gonzalez

33 episodes

6 days ago

In this second installment of Legends of the Cue with Mark Kendall — famed guitarist, songwriter, and founder of the multiplatinum rock band Great White — we journey deeper into the fire and rhythm of a life shaped by equal parts grit, melody, and cue chalk. From his early days strumming in garages and dreaming beyond backyard gigs, to the electric moment when fate and a record label executive collided in a smoky L.A. club, Mark shares the unlikely path that led him from factory shifts and co...

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In this second installment of Legends of the Cue with Mark Kendall — famed guitarist, songwriter, and founder of the multiplatinum rock band Great White — we journey deeper into the fire and rhythm of a life shaped by equal parts grit, melody, and cue chalk. From his early days strumming in garages and dreaming beyond backyard gigs, to the electric moment when fate and a record label executive collided in a smoky L.A. club, Mark shares the unlikely path that led him from factory shifts and co...

Show more...

Episodes (20/33)

Legends of the Cue

Mark Kendall - Part 2 (Riffs, Road Gigs & Runouts – The Relentless Drive of Mark Kendall)

In this second installment of Legends of the Cue with Mark Kendall — famed guitarist, songwriter, and founder of the multiplatinum rock band Great White — we journey deeper into the fire and rhythm of a life shaped by equal parts grit, melody, and cue chalk. From his early days strumming in garages and dreaming beyond backyard gigs, to the electric moment when fate and a record label executive collided in a smoky L.A. club, Mark shares the unlikely path that led him from factory shifts and co...

6 days ago

38 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Mark Kendall - Part 1 (From Rock Stages to Pool Halls – The Early Years)

In this first installment of a captivating four-part series, Legends of the Cue welcomes Mark Kendall — the soulful guitarist and founding member of the multi-platinum rock band Great White, and one of the most accomplished celebrity pool players in the world. Known for his passionate guitar riffs and humble nature, Kendall opens up to hosts Mark Wilson, Mike Gonzalez and Allison Fisher about the fascinating intersections of music, family, and the game of pool that shaped his life. Born into ...

6 days ago

36 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Keith McCready - Part 4 (Playing Life on the Edge)

In the riveting conclusion of our four-part Legends of the Cue series with Keith “El Diablo” McCready, the legendary shot-maker and showman opens up about the artistry, heart, and hard lessons behind his unforgettable career. From his early days hustling in rough-and-tumble pool halls to his fearless showdowns with icons like Efren Reyes, Keith reflects on the fearless attitude and creative flair that made him both a crowd favorite and a feared opponent. Joined by co-hosts Mike Gonzalez, Mark...

1 week ago

39 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Keith McCready - Part 3 (“It’s Like a Nightmare, Isn’t It?” – The Color of Money Years)

In this third installment of our four-part Legends of the Cue conversation with the legendary Keith McCready, we dive into one of the most fascinating chapters of his extraordinary life — his unforgettable role as Grady Seasons in Martin Scorsese’s 1986 classic, The Color of Money. Keith takes us behind the scenes of how a real pool hustler from the road found himself sharing the screen — and trading lines — with Paul Newman and a young Tom Cruise. From a serendipitous encounter at the 1985 U...

1 week ago

38 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Keith McCready - Part 2 ("Earthquake” in Action)

In this second installment of Legends of the Cue featuring the incomparable Keith “Earthquake” McCready, the stories get wilder, the stakes higher, and the characters larger than life. With his trademark wit and fearless honesty, Keith takes us deep into the gritty underworld of American pool during its most colorful era — where the lights never dimmed, the games never stopped, and the money was always on the line. From marathon gambling sessions at California’s legendary Billiard Palace to e...

2 weeks ago

39 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Keith McCready - Part 1 (The Early Hustle: From Elmhurst to El Diablo)

In this first installment of our Legends of the Cue four-part series, hosts Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher, and Mark Wilson sit down with one of pool’s most electrifying personalities—Keith McCready—to trace the raw, unfiltered beginnings of a life that could only be described as cinematic. Born in Elmhurst, Illinois, and raised under the California sun, Keith’s early years were anything but ordinary. By age ten, while most kids were trading baseball cards, he was already gambling, running poo...

2 weeks ago

40 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Mike Massey - Part 4 (Hall of Fame Honors, Life Lessons, and Lasting Impact)

In this concluding episode of our four-part series with the incomparable Mike Massey, we journey through a defining chapter of his extraordinary life in pool. Already recognized as the game’s premier trick shot artist, Mike reflects on the mid-2000s when his career transitioned from peak competition to enduring legacy. We begin with his collaboration with noted author Phil Capelle on Mike Massey’s World of Trick Shots, a groundbreaking instructional book blending precision diagrams, insider t...

3 weeks ago

30 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Mike Massey - Part 3 (Marathon Runs, Mosconi Memories, and Pool School in Paradise)

In this third installment of our four-part conversation with Mike Massey—BCA Hall of Fame inductee, Artistic Pool Hall of Fame member, and the greatest trick shot artist of all time—we continue charting the incredible journey of one of the game’s most colorful and accomplished legends. Mike takes us inside one of his proudest achievements: a grueling 24-hour marathon in Austria where he recorded an astonishing 330 break-and-runs in nine-ball, a feat witnessed live on national television that ...

3 weeks ago

30 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Mike Massey - Part 2 (From Trials to Trick Shot Triumphs)

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 embarki...

1 month ago

33 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Mike Massey - Part 1 (From Tennessee Hustler to Pool’s Greatest Showman)

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 l...

1 month ago

40 minutes

Legends of the Cue

John Schmidt - Part 4 (Breaking Barriers, Breaking Records)

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 e...

1 month ago

39 minutes

Legends of the Cue

John Schmidt - Part 3 (The Quest to Best Mosconi)

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 setba...

1 month ago

40 minutes

Legends of the Cue

John Schmidt - Part 2 (Finding His Footing in the Pool World)

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...

1 month ago

40 minutes

Legends of the Cue

John Schmidt - Part 1 (Breaking Barriers, Building Grit)

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 childhoo...

1 month ago

38 minutes

Legends of the Cue

LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 4 (Laughter, Legacy, and a Legendary Career)

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 ins...

1 month ago

35 minutes

Legends of the Cue

LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 3 (Grit, Greatness, and the Golden Era of Women’s Pool)

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. Sh...

1 month ago

35 minutes

Legends of the Cue

LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 2 (Teenage World Champion and the Rise of a Legend)

In part two of our four-part series with BCA Hall of Famer LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown, we journey back to the early 1980s, when a 15-year-old prodigy from New Jersey stunned the billiards world by capturing the World Straight Pool Championship. That historic win not only earned her a Guinness World Record as the youngest world champion in the sport’s history but also set the stage for an extraordinary career that continues to inspire players today. LoreeJon reflects on the whirlwind of attentio...

2 months ago

34 minutes

Legends of the Cue

LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 1 (From Basement Beginnings to Queen of the Hill)

In this debut episode of our four-part conversation with pool legend LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown, we go back to the very beginning of a remarkable journey in billiards. A World Pool-Billiard Association Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most decorated players in women’s pool, LoreeJon opens up about her early life, her family’s influence, and how a cue stick in her tiny hands set her on the path to greatness. From her childhood home in Garwood, New Jersey—where a full-sized Gandy table domina...

2 months ago

40 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Nick Varner - Part 4 (From World Championships to "White Lightning")

In this fourth and final installment of our exclusive Legends of the Cue series with Hall of Fame icon Nick Varner, we bring his extraordinary journey full circle. From the heights of world titles to the challenges of sustaining a career in a sport often overshadowed, Nick’s story is equal parts grit, passion, and perseverance. Nick revisits his late-career triumphs, including capturing his second WPA World Nine Ball Championship at the age of 51 and going undefeated to claim the 2000 World O...

2 months ago

38 minutes

Legends of the Cue

Nick Varner - Part 3 (From Straight Pool to Mosconi Cup Glory)

In Part 3 of our four-part conversation with BCA Hall of Famer Nick Varner, we dive into the rich details of his legendary career, exploring the transitions, rivalries, and defining moments that shaped one of the greatest champions in cue sports history. Nick reflects on his early love for straight pool—a game of patterns, precision, and deep strategy—and how it contrasted with the faster, high-pressure rise of nine ball. He shares fascinating insights into the mental shift required to thrive...

2 months ago

33 minutes