Old-time hustler was part of pool’s most colorful generation.
Billy Burge, better known as “Cornbread Red,” was a famed road player, an expert one-pocket player and a colorful wild man. He was a fixture of “The Rack,” a famed pool hall in Detroit, and a backroom denizen of the Johnston City tournaments. He placed second in the Johnston City one-pocket division back in 1966 and second place in the Super One-Pocket tournament in 1993. I got to thinking about Cornbread recently after stumbling across this goofy snapshot, above. It’s one of a whole bunch posted by veteran pro Mary Kenniston over the years (thanks Mary!) and it also appears in Eddie Robins’ hard-to-find book Winning One-Pocket.
Burge, who died in 2004, epitomized the Johnston City generation of pool players that included Boston Shorty, Handsome Danny, Jersey Red and the Tuscaloosa Squirrel. He was the subject of a delightful biography written by Bob Henning, and he also turns up in the autobiography of Minnesota Fats, The Bank Shot.
On page 135 of the Fats book, in the chapter titled “Exposed By Hollywood,” Fats describes encountering Cornbread and others in Johnston City. The players were all razzing Fats about being a has-been player. Cornbread Red piled on, and then withered under one of Fats’ famous put downs. Here’s the exchange:
“I really think you’re all washed up,” Danny said.
“I think so too,” Mr. Tuscaloosa Squirrelly chimed in.
“And so do I,” said Mr. Cornbread Red. “I think Danny and the Squirrel are right, Fatty. You’re finished.”
“Is that so?” I said to Mr. Cornbread Red. “Well I’ll tell you what I’ll do. When I get through with Mr. Handsome Danny, which will be very shortly, it will be your turn to come to the table with the cash, Mr. Cornbread Red. And when I get through busting you down to your last dime and paying your bus fare back to Detroit, you’ll be known as No-Bread Red.”
That was enough to silence The Breadman but it wasn’t enough to convince Mr. Handsome Danny, on account that Handsome kept right on trying to out talk me.
Newspaper columnist Tom Fox, who co-authored The Bank Shot, apparently witnessed the exchange first hand. And despite Cornbread getting the worst of it, he’s remembered by poolroom insiders as one of the very funniest in pool history — and only slightly less entertaining than Minnesota Fats himself.
If you haven’t picked up Fats’ autobiography, you should. It’s hilarious. I’m also a big fan of Henning’s book on Cornbread, “Pool’s Greatest Money Player.” You can find it on Amazon or order it directly from Henning, at Bebob Publishing.
And finally, if you want to read more about Cornbread Red, check out Onepocket.org. Cornbread Red was inducted into the organization’s One Pocket Hall of Fame in 2004.
Had the privilege to play Cornbread @ “Pockets Billiards” Lansing, Mi. in a 9-ball tournament. Race to seven I think it was. I’m playin over my head good & we get hill to hill & Im almost out on the winning rack when Cornbread leans into my easy 7 ball shot sharking me into missing. Ha! I considered it a compliment that he had to resort to that & just laughed it off. He probably let me get that close anyway. Glad I got his autographed copy of his book before he headed off to hustle all the Angels. Another Great Player gone. R. I. P. Cornbread. 🙏🏼
Thanks for posting Steve. Great story!
Tim Williams i spent a many day with cornbread i opened a pool hall in ky when red moved from detroit it was about 10 minutes from his home we played poker there 6 days a week he was there every day. I have been playing since i was 4 years old .My father had a pool hall that burned down in 1975. My room was next door to were my fathers was.Red was a great friend i could go on all day of telling some of his storys. We went to Derby City together a few times.We ran into Burl there one year they had a great time together They will never be another Cornbread Red.R.I.P. my friend.
I have a pool cue that was supposed to have been owned by Cornbread Red. Does anybody have pictures of Billy with a cue in his hand that I could match up with the cue I have?
I’m relatively new to the area of “Pool Legends,” however, my first experience is a lasting memory. Back in the winter-spring of 1971 I was a young fella of 18, married with a child on the way, and worked construction. One day this new guy came onto the crew and his name was Johnny McPeak. A likeable guy, he was always smiling, and soon after he joined, he asked if I’d like to ride into nearby Salem, VA for lunch. “Sure, I relied.” So for a regular lunchtime, I’d have a sandwich while I’d watch him run the roadhouse and honk-tonk tables, and pocket lots of folding cash winnings…As a rule, it was never the same roadhouse twice in a row. One day when it had gotten Spring, he was changing out his work shirt into a fancy country and western one when I noticed he had cut scars all over his arms, shoulders, even he chest. I asked, “What in the world? Where you in a car wreck or something?” He replied, “No, I got these from ‘$2 losers.” “$2 losers? What’s that?” I asked. He answered “Well, the guys who lose big money to me are used to such…but it’s the $2 losers that go crazy and want to kill you!”
Did Cornbread have a half brother named Tobby?
Yes and a sister, Dee
I used to manage Howard-Paulina Billiards in Chicago and was standing right next to Minnesota Fats In Johnson City when he and Cornbread Red were trying to set the terms for that game. I think Fats played him 8 to 7 but Red gave up the break.
I grew up in the 50s and early 60s watching Red in the basement pool hall on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. He and my father were great friends. He was one of the funniest, kindest, gentlest men you will ever meet. That is if he liked you.
Cornbread was my old friends/neighbors grandad. I used to stay the night at my friends often. Cornbread would come from whatever pool-hall he’d been to that night with a manilla envelope and hand my friend some cash. He was always so friendly and happy.
That same friend had a step-father who owned a couple pool halls back in the day outside detroit that I would play at. Very nice family.
Anyone remember when Cornbread and Fats tried to out hustle each other at Kelly Kue in Harper Woods, around 1966? It’s a restaurant now. When Fats arrived in the parking lot I ran outside to get in a few words. He had a new Lincoln.
He headed straight to the front table and made double wing shots look easy. All the while talking and joking. We didn’t know it but the call went out to Cornbread that Fats wanted some action. We thought Fats was there just for a paid promotion for night. Cornbread and his backer, named Baby Face, arrived. First they played nine-ball. Then one pocket and bank. Starting $100, then $200 then $300 a game. The match ended with __________ the winner, but not by much. Who do you think won?
I don’t know the specific story, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Fats ended up winning. He could be such a windbag that sometimes players thought he was all talk and no game. But I know for a fact that Fats scored big gambling against very good professional players who made the mistake of underestimating him.
I played him at his bar in texakansas one night I had no clue who I was playing. At 2am he ran everyone out of bar, so I started packing my cue up , he said where the hell are you going. I said it’s closing time he told me, not for you it’s not and we played 100 sets all night long till morning. He gave the last 2 in 9 ball. I left next morning 100 down. 2 weeks later I go in to bar where I normally played in Lonegrove oklahoma. I no more then get my stick together and a Freind of mine came up to me and said I heard you was playing cornbread red in texarkansas, I had no clue he was a famous road player until I got back home. I was disappointed losing to him, until I realized who he was. The pool world is a small world when news of who play beat you back home. That was a night I will tell my kids about.