In Part 1 of our conversation with three-cushion billiard great George Ashby, we begin where all great cue sport stories begin: in the room. For George, that room was Drexel Billiards in Jacksonville, Illinois, the family business his father purchased after leaving the grocery trade. What followed was an upbringing unlike any other — washing glasses in the restaurant as a child, dragging an orange crate around the tables so he could stand high enough to play, and absorbing the culture of pool and billiards from the players who came through town.

This episode is a vivid journey into a vanished American billiard world. George brings Drexel Billiards to life in loving detail, from the soda fountain and tobacco counter to the beautiful Brunswick tables that defined the room. He shares memories of the nationally known players who passed through Jacksonville on their way to Chicago, then one of the great billiard capitals of the world, and explains how he first fell under the spell of three-cushion.

For listeners more familiar with pool than carom, George also delivers a wonderfully clear primer on the game itself — the equipment, the rules, the challenge, and the beauty that drew him away from pocket billiards and toward a discipline that rewards imagination, touch, and precision at the highest level.

This is the story of a small-town boy shaped by an extraordinary room, an extraordinary game, and an era of cue sports that has nearly disappeared. It is also the opening chapter in the making of one of America’s great three-cushion champions.

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Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”