Rod - re Johnny Vivas

gulfportdoc

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Gulfport, Mississippi
Rod, from another thread I was reminded that you knew Johnny Vivas. Would you tell us all about him-- at least your impressions? Most of us knew that he won first place at the inaugural Johnston City tournament in 1961. I'd also heard that he had trouble with the bottle or drugs. But other than that, not much seems to be known about him. How about it?

Thanks~
Doc
 

androd

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New Braunfels tx.
Rod, from another thread I was reminded that you knew Johnny Vivas. Would you tell us all about him-- at least your impressions? Most of us knew that he won first place at the inaugural Johnston City tournament in 1961. I'd also heard that he had trouble with the bottle or drugs. But other than that, not much seems to be known about him. How about it?

Thanks~
Doc

When I first saw him play I was so impressed, for about a week my cue stick touched my chin on every stroke.
I was very young and looking for what would help my game.

He was at the Gandy tournament in Macon Ga.

I next saw him in Memphis.
He was hustling the one pocket ghost prop.
He let most there shoot at 15 in 5 innings, no one was successful.
He beat 16, 17, 18 and 19 then everyone quit and he left town.

He came to Houston, maybe 10/12 years later and stayed quite a while.
He no longer played as well and couldn't compete with a host of players here at that time.

I took him home to his room for whatever, he said come in I'm going to shower. We were going to a bar spot.
The room had syringes laying all around. He said never mind those I've been giving myself some B12 shots.
Many said he was on Heroin, I never saw him on the nod or any other signs of it, but his game had slipped badly, he couldn't beat players my speed.

He didn't drink, in the bars he'd buy a beer and sit it aside when we left.
Possibly drying out from drugs had ruined his nerves ?
When playing if someone rattled a newspaper in the back of the room, he'd holler at them. If I was there he say "I'm gonna kill a sweater before I die" :)
Rod.
P.S. He was an awesome player when first I saw him. :D
 

BackPocket9Ball

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May 25, 2004
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Philadelphia
Rod, from another thread I was reminded that you knew Johnny Vivas. Would you tell us all about him-- at least your impressions? Most of us knew that he won first place at the inaugural Johnston City tournament in 1961. I'd also heard that he had trouble with the bottle or drugs. But other than that, not much seems to be known about him. How about it?

Thanks~
Doc

?Tom Shaw (I think that's the author's name) wrote a very nice article about him in Pool & Billiard Magazine back in about 97 or 98, and it was an interview (not just a retrospective) so he was still alive at that time. Wish I had saved some of those articles. I remember ones about Don Willis, Jersey Red, Johnny Irish, Cleo Vaughn, and many others. The one about Rags Fitzpatrick was posted with his HOF page on this site. it would be cool if Steve could get permission to post others on this site.
 

gulfportdoc

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Jun 25, 2004
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Gulfport, Mississippi
Thanks for the recollections, Rod. Vivas (I've seen it spelled "Vevis") was an interesting guy. I knew a billiard player in L.A. who'd been a ranked heavyweight fighter. He even knocked down Max Baer. Anyway I went to his apartment one time, and he had some "works". He was a heroin user, but he did also take B12 injections. Must be a popular combination.;)

--------------------------

And BackPocket: yes I do remember those great Tom Shaw interviews. I vaguely remember the one on Vevis. Wonder if those are available online somewhere?

~Doc
 

Ross Keith Thompson

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madisonville, texas
LeCue Club in houston

LeCue Club in houston

Back about 1967-68 Johnny Vivas made his home in Houston Texas where I watched him play quite a few times. He was a good player at the time but not great. His better days were behind him I suspect. He was very entertaining watching him play and the things he would say when he missed a ball, haha. He was about 5 ft. 7 or so maybe taller and was baldish. He mixed it up pretty good with the local good players and there was plenty of them. Jersey Red and Greg Stevens spotted him pretty heavy, like 12 to 8 and it was close, but Greg and Red were in their prime per my opinion so that makes Johnny a pretty good player and the drugs did have an effect on his game.
 
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