Sept. 9, 2025

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

LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 4 (Laughter, Legacy, and a Legendary Career)
LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 4 (Laughter, Legacy, and a Legendary Career)
Legends of the Cue
LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown - Part 4 (Laughter, Legacy, and a Legendary Career)
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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.

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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.”

Allison Fisher

Confidence. That's the hard part about coming back, isn't it? Which you did. You took a hiatus from the game. What happened? Because you disappeared for quite a while.

LoreeJon

I so I always said in my life that if I didn't enjoy pool, I was done. You know? And it started when my kids were, you know, kind of, I call it like fragile ages. You know what I mean? I really wanted to be there, you know, for them. So I turned from pool player to golf caddy for my son, Matthew. You know, like I looked at him, I'm sorry, I'd be trudging up those hills. I'm like looking at him and I'm like, I hate you, and you know how much I love you. I'm like, I'm like, I would just, I was so tired. But, you know, I became that, and I and I, you know, went horseback riding with my daughter because she lived at the barn and loved horses, and I always watched her, and horse actually grooming her horse became like my therapy. That was like my therapy, brushing and you know, cleaning the hooves and doing all that stuff. That kind of became my therapy. And then I've watched every soccer game of my son, my oldest.

Allison Fisher

So that's wonderful.

LoreeJon

So yeah, and it was just important, I think, for me to do that at that time. And we had, you know, we had a bus we had a business, and you know, so I just I my brain was just it was it was the start of the squirrel, I think. And then and then after years of being not there, I kind of missed it, you know, and then I was like, I kind of miss it. I I really, you know, want to do something again. Then the IPT happened. So then that was, you know, I it I guess if that came, you know, the WPBA gave permission, all this other stuff. The IPT happens for a couple few years, and then I think I think the whole thing was there was supposed to be an online gambling and George Bush next day.

Allison Fisher

The idea was him to sell that business, wasn't it? To create a business and sell it.

LoreeJon

Yes, and and so that that stopped that, and then and then I took another small break from there, and then like 2017 I started playing again.

Allison Fisher

And then and your kids are all grown up at that point, or yeah, pretty much, pretty much.

LoreeJon

Yeah, that's fantastic, you know, at least to where I thought that I could do do something again, you know. And then when I came back, I couldn't believe it. Like I came back, and the first tournament was Alan Hopkins, you know, the at the thing, and I I beat I beat Karen Corr in the finals. Or oh wow, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez

Was it the the 2017 Super Billiards Expo Players Championships? Yes. Surprise.

LoreeJon

And and Vivian gave me it because stinking Vivian missed a nine ball and hung it in the hole to beat me.

Allison Fisher

I think I might have watched that.

LoreeJon

That's also what you need a little bit. You need a little luck on your side when you when you when you win a tournament, look back at a couple of the breaks that you got. You know what I mean? You definitely, you know, yeah. So, you know, I took that I took that break and ran with it.

Mike Gonzalez

It's like let's let's sort of bridge the gap for our listeners between uh, you know, we'll go back to 95, and you know, you look at the list of events, and it was pretty well rocking for the women, wasn't it? I mean, you had a lot of events going on during this time frame, and and you know, again, you continued winning many, many more wins, 94, 95. Again, billiards digest player of the year 1995. And then sort of toward the end of the year, you got this lady show up in uh Charlotte for a tournament. She does okay. And then, you know, titles down to the McDermott Hughes uh Orlando Classic.

Allison Fisher

Which we all traveled together. We all traveled together. I stayed in Charlotte after that event. I came in ninth, I lost to Ava and Jeanette, and then we went to Orlando in I think Kelly Oyama had a minivan, and it was Laurie, John, Robin, Gerda, myself, Kelly. Is there anyone else? Available. Yeah. So I've got all these top the top three in the game, and and obviously Gerda was the first WPBA winner. All these winners in the minivan with me, and I'm watching Laurie, John, and Robin play this basketball game. Do you care to elaborate on that?

Mike Gonzalez

We've got to hear about this one here, yeah.

Allison Fisher

Yeah, this is a good one.

LoreeJon

So maybe she could give us a little. When we would travel to Japan and stuff like that, we would always, we were bored. It was like long flights. We were bored, we had nothing to do. So Robin had this talent. You know how you everybody has a talent. Robin had this talent where she could, I don't even know if I could do it. I can't. She would get a bubble on the end of her tongue, and she could, and she could blow the bubble and and land where she wants, right? So we would sit there, and like I love people, people are gonna be going, you're so gross. You're so gross. So I would sit there and be like, okay, go ahead. She would try and shoot the bubble from across, like she'd be on the other side of the aisle, and she'd shoot the bubble right in my mouth. And she would we would we would call it basketball and we would score points.

Allison Fisher

I've done this on the way down to Orlando, and I'm like, what are they doing? I didn't know what to make of it.

LoreeJon

It was the best. Like I could like like and you and it's it's so gross because to make a bubble, you have to have a little, you know, like you draw it. We won't so so we would try to make that bubble, like it was a talent to make that bubble, stick it on the end of your tongue, and and it, and it so so beautifully went where she wanted. Yeah, that's amazing.

Allison Fisher

Do you think the guys did that on tour? Do you think they did that in a bald moment?

Mike Gonzalez

I've never seen that. No, never seen that, and you'll never see it either, probably.

LoreeJon

And that's and that's another thing. Like, you know, it'll never be that again, but I do miss the camaraderie. I miss la like you and I, when I see you at a tournament now, we just like crack, we we'll be in the corner, we'll laugh and laugh and laugh at stories. Some funny things they did.

Allison Fisher

I remember you and you and uh Ava, I think you and Ava, did you room together a lot, you and Ava? Did you not make the pillows fit how you wanted them to when you stayed in a hotel? I remember that too.

Mike Gonzalez

Here we go.

Allison Fisher

Basically, if it was too much in the pillow, they would just rip the pillow open and pull the stuff in out till they got the desired height.

Mike Gonzalez

Oh, don't mention the name of the hotel.

LoreeJon

But I was good. I would get I would call the front desk and I would get I at least sewed it back up again. I would get a needle thread and I'd sew it back up again.

Allison Fisher

Oh and then the other the other one story I remember quite vividly was them. Didn't you take the wrong car? Park? Didn't you get a rental car? There's a rental car story in there. And what happened?

LoreeJon

All right.

Allison Fisher

This is good. So this is a good point.

LoreeJon

Ava and I flew, we had a tournament in Baltimore, Maryland, and we flew. I think it was like we flew into Baltimore, but we flew out of Washington, or vice versa, one of them. So we're at the hotel. Ava and I, we ran, we always did everything. Ava and I were the okay, we were like Mutt and Jeff. We'd be running at at the airport. We'd be running, running. I'm following her, she's following me. She'd go, what gate? And I'm like, I don't know. I'm following you. You're running. I but that that was our life together, okay? So we rented a car, and all I can tell you is that it was a green car with four doors and beige interior. Okay. Green car, four doors, beige interior. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's a Chevrolet, O's mobile. I don't care what it is. It's just it's it's our rental car. So we're at the hotel, we're we're we're late. We totally forgot that we were flying out of the further airport. So we were like it was like, we gotta go now. So I'm like, okay, so I call, they bring the car up, we jump in the car, and I'm driving, and I go to, I go to, I don't know what it was, I go to shift and it's here. Like, you know, shift is here. But I I don't, you know, I don't know. I mean, I drive so many cars. So I we're going, we're going, we get to the airport, we get to the Avis, Avis rent a car, and where's the and they're ignoring us one car after the other. They're ignoring us. So I get out of the car and I said, I said, excuse me. I said, we have been here for like 10 minutes. I said, we got a plane to catch, and you know, and the guy looks at me and he looks at the he goes, ma'am, he goes, This isn't our car. And I went, huh? I'm like, so we we figure out they brought the wrong car. You don't think that somehow got in trouble, possibly? They bring the wrong car. Mitchell, of course, has me. I'm crying. He goes, You had the shifter on the wheel, and there's a shifter in here. And he's telling me all the differences about a car because he's a guy. And I and Ava's going, Mitch, this isn't the time. It's a green car with beige interior. We took it. So I literally we laughed so hard at that. We we literally left the car there. I called the hotel and I said, You're gonna get my car here. You're gonna take this car. I don't know whose it is. I don't even know if it's a rental car and you're gonna bring this back to the hotel. And I said, and we're this is where it's gonna be parked. And I left it there, and I guess it worked out fine.

Mike Gonzalez

Oh, what a story.

LoreeJon

Oh, we have so many, so many. Oh, I love that story.

Mike Gonzalez

I'm waiting for Alison to prompt you on a few more. She's got all the colours.

Allison Fisher

No, that was uh that was so they used to have cake fights and all sorts, but that was pre-me coming along. Didn't you have a cake fight in the room?

LoreeJon

Oh god, we had so bad. We had a cake fight that was so bad. Neslie O'Hare, Vivian, me. So it was Vivian's birthday, and it was chocolate cake. And I smashed her the cake and her, you should have seen this room. Poor Peg. Peg who who had like all the, you know, she made all the reservations and you know, and she just looked at us and she said, I don't care how long it takes. She said, There will not be a piece of chocolate on this wall. We were like, yes, ma'am. Literally jumped on me, squeezed her legs around me like a wrestler, took the cake and smashed it in my face, was smashing it in my ear. I swear to you, two days later, I had cake in my ear that came in. And we had, it took so long to clean that room. It was so bad. Oh my god, it was so bad. We had to get cleanings. We had the oh, it was it it was bad. But see, these are these are all things that you too can join the WPDA.

Mike Gonzalez

Yeah, you could create a a recruiting video or something for the young ladies.

Allison Fisher

Oh, that would be would be funny we reenacting them.

Mike Gonzalez

What else might you want to talk about that we haven't covered so far?

LoreeJon

The one thing that I would like to to say because without my sponsors, I would not be able to do this. Like, so I really I have four wonderful sponsors. Olhausen has been with me for a very long time. Championship Billiard Fabric, Maury Tips, and Muchi Q's, of course. I was gonna say I've been with Muchi since I was like 18. So, you know, the fact that who I am I don't win right now. Could I? Yeah, you know what? I still think I have it in me somewhere to possibly get one. But you know, Dan Borget from Olhausen, he said that's not why we have you. He goes, We have you because you're a legend. And he goes, and and you know, and and that that just it it's great. It's just it's great to have people that that companies that believe in you and that you know Yeah.

Allison Fisher

We've done so much for the sport, and that those sponsors mute you and old housing have been with you forever.

LoreeJon

Forever, forever, yeah, forever. That's great loyalty, great, and then uh championship billiard fabric uh, you know, was a was years ago, and then Maury Tip was m more new, you know, newer now. But yeah.

Mike Gonzalez

Well, you are a legend, and legends in the game, we're talking about legends of the queue, are immortalized and recognized and enshrined in things like Hall of Fames. And so in the 2002, you were honored to be inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, inducted with Jimmy Rempey, one of those fellows you went way back with. That had to be a great experience for you.

LoreeJon

The king and queen.

Mike Gonzalez

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, what were your memories of that night?

LoreeJon

Uh really good. Really good. It was, you know, it was a big dinner, big, big shindig back then because they it was always connected to the I can't even think, the trade show. That we were always at the trade show and you know, and everybody had, you know, ever all all of the manufacturers would be there and all your friends and family and all the players. And it was it was it was a beautiful night. It really was. It was it my my you know, to have my parents there and Charlie was there, and you know, it was it was wonderful.

Allison Fisher

I remember it was obviously a wonderful occasion for you and your family, and I remember you getting up there and singing Wim Beneath My Wings. Is that correct? Yeah, I remember that. That was very special because she yeah, yeah. That was wonderful.

Mark Wilson

They made it all happen for you.

LoreeJon

Yeah, it was.

Mark Wilson

I used to sing before quite a few of the matches or things like that, right?

Allison Fisher

Do you still sing?

LoreeJon

I still sing there, and there, yeah.

Allison Fisher

She has a great voice.

Mike Gonzalez

We fast forward six years to 2008. I don't know what took them so long, but you're inducted into the WPBA Hall of Fame.

LoreeJon

Yeah, and Ava was with me, and that was wonderful. That was that was a lot of fun. You know, the BCA is is where you want to go. You know, that's like that's like the main, you know, you you gotta get into that. And then, you know, of course the WPBA because it's it's that's your organization. So that was very special. And I still have the, you know, I still have the the the video that they made for both of them, actually. And I and I love that, you know, I love I love showing people that and and uh because that kind of just shows every it puts all your your career all in one, you know, one little video. And one thing that I will say, one of the most special, in 2022, I was inducted into the Polish American Hall of Fame, which is in Michigan. And that was uh fairly amazing because it wasn't just pool, you know, it was people voted on me and it was, you know, you were against like, you know, some serious contenders, you know. So I was like, well, it's nice that they nominated me, you know, like I'm probably not gonna get in this day, you know, but you know, it's nice. And yeah, and they called me and said that I was in with the this with with a with a football coach, and it was wonderful. It was I learned how, and don't ask me because I can't I learned it like it's it's kind of like studying for a test. You learn, you do, and then you just it goes away. But I I greeted everybody in Polish. Uh my mom and you know, helped me with that. And and then I talked about all of our my our our Polish heritage, you know, like Easter and what we used to do for Easter or with eggs. And you know, we used oh god, we stunk. We did. We used to have oh my god, we we we would eat in the morning, like we would have like kiwbasa, you know, with garlic in it and like you know, beets and horseradish. And I mean, it was just it was like we just kill you. But that was that was really, really my my husband Terry got to see that, and it was really special and really hard because like my dad wasn't, you know, like my dad was not there and and we all drank, and I hate Manhattans. My god, I hate them. But my dad, that's what my dad drank. So we all everybody there took a a shot of of a Manhattan in in honor of my dad. That was very special.

Mike Gonzalez

That's terrific. You you know, I know you and Allison are both involved in a current project called the Q Queens Project. Why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about what that's all about?

LoreeJon

Well, I'm excited about it because it it it's about every it's about all the women, you know, it's about top women, all the women, young women, old women, and anywhere in between. And I think it's a documentary. It's gonna be a documentary, and I I personally really believe in the in the project. If I didn't, I don't think I would have, I don't think I would have gone to Amsterdam billiards. I don't think I would have, you know, you know, bought that photo. Like my husband brought bought the photo for, you know, like of all of us and stuff like that. But I think it's gonna be really good. I I think that a documentary featuring a little bit of everything is so smart. You know, it's so smart. It goes from the the the you know timeline of the beginning to now and what will, you know, what is and what's to be, you know. So I think they're doing the I really think they're they're what I what I saw too at Amsterdam. Oh yeah, that's right. I cried. I'm such a sap. So they they showed like a video part of of and and it was it was of Allison and her mom, and and I'm like, I'm like up to here watching it. Like it's it's like I'm choked, like to hear. And I'm like, I'm like, all right, don't cry, don't cry. And then Alison looks right at the camera and says, you know, what did you say? There's time that how you can't buy time. Yes, time's precious. She said time is precious. She said you can't buy time, and I lost it. That was it. I lost it completely. I was like, you know, I lost my mom last year, and it just, you know, my mom and I have had a little bit of a roller coaster relationship in my younger years, and we became like this in the last, you know, 15, 20 years. And and I I j I j yeah, that just killed me. Cause you don't, you don't yeah, you're Tieran too. See, Mark is wiping he's he's wiping his little eye too. I s I caught that. You know, but it but it's true, you know, you you have to enjoy I think that's one thing that getting older you appreciate time. You appreciate you appreciate every day and you appreciate, you know, don't don't, you know, like all this stuff that people tell you when you're young, you know, don't go to bed mad, don't do this, don't, you know, confront somebody if you have a thing with them, all that stuff. It does it means nothing until you realize how much it does mean.

Mike Gonzalez

So one question I have about the documentary project. Did they ever consider calling it Q Duchesses?

Allison Fisher

Oh, twisty. Look, I'm all for the cute oh, you can't see it. Oh, you can't see it there. Oh, look at that.

Mike Gonzalez

There we go.

Allison Fisher

It magically appears.

Mike Gonzalez

I love it. Yeah. For our listeners, we've got a little promo plug. What was that, a soda bottle or something that you were putting on? My coffee cup. It's my coffee cup. Okay. All right. So we gotta we'll have to do a video now so the listeners know what we're doing.

Allison Fisher

That just does not Queen of Doom. No, it doesn't have the same to it.

Mark Wilson

I I have one one thing I wanted to interject was of all the magnificent wins that uh Lori John's had, I think one of the things that really embodies a magical career is is is just summarized in this one incident. And if you would tell it, when you were at a tournament, I think it was LA, of course, and you got on a game show.

Mike Gonzalez

That's right. Right?

Mark Wilson

The most amazing thing.

LoreeJon

So, okay, so everybody had like room roommates, you know, because you don't want to travel on the road by yourself. So everybody has roommates, and like we would all jump and visit each other in the rooms, you know. And Vivian and and Kelly and Neslie and Ava and we used to watch like it was not a lie. We used to watch the prices right all the time, all the time. And I'm like, and I would tell everybody, I'm like, if you just listen to the audience, you're gonna win. Yeah, just listen to the audience. They know, they know. So one time we were going back to LA and I'm like, guys, why don't we why don't we go on the prices right? We always watch it for you know, we're we're going in early, like, let's just do it. So we had a huge amount of people. We we got we we had lots of people, and then we lost everybody when they found out that we were leaving at 3 15 in the morning to stand in line. And it was just Vivi and me and Kelly Oyama. And we got in line and we could see that we were gonna, you know, we were like we were close enough to the front to where we were we were gonna be fine. We were gonna be able to sit in the audience. So the the the guy goes, oh, and of course, when when we wore when we went there, we all wore something with pool. And I had I years ago, there was the I forget the company, but that they used to stitch, you know, they they like stitched a big shark with a uh with with a table, you know, pool shark. And and I had a denim shirt on with that, and my mom jeans because I just had Matthew. So I had my my my little mom jeans. And the producer was like, what's your name and what do you do? What's your name and what do you do? What's your name and what do you do? And I told Vivian, I said, All right, one of us is definitely gonna get on, right? One of us, and I said, but probably you because you're Spanish, you know, you meet like all the you meet the criteria of the and the and they called my name. And I was so excited. I was so Lori, Lori John Jones, come on, Dan. Come on, Dad. You're the next cadet. No, no, no, I'm like, and of course, you know me.

Allison Fisher

Ah like I was brilliant.

LoreeJon

So I go down and we we were bidding on I think it was a painting. I didn't like the painting, but it was it was a painting. And I don't know, I did the I did the one cent over because I believed that it was higher. So I whatever the highest it was, if it was 350, I bid $351. And that's what the audience said. And then I won. I went up there, I won, I won everything on there. Now, this is funny. Bob Barker gets a message while I'm doing the wheel. So so what happened was all right, I gotta hold on real quick. I I I have I'm going for the jet skis, the the wave runners, and I'm playing Super Ball, which is which is ski ball, which I'm horrible at. Oh, I'm horrible at ski ball. And so I I do the one thing, I I guess the the three products, I guess the products, the the price is right. So I get three balls. One ball was for this, one ball was for this, one ball was for the jet ski, and all of them I Lori John's very consistent, same same miss every single time. So I'm like, oh gosh, all right, but I had fun. You know, I'm thinking I had fun. And he's like, but wait, you can do the suit, you can win the Super Bowl, blah, blah, blah, blah, and win all three prizes. And I'm like, oh, you know, so I guess the price. Now I'm concentrating. My brother goes, watch the video. He goes, you're like, and he goes, he goes, all three, you're like, he's in your whole face changed. He's in, and so I make it in the thing, I win everything. Okay, so now the wheel's coming up. Now, now the wheel's coming up. So when I go to win the spin the wheel, and I I didn't think I had a chance because the person, I don't know, the person before me or whatever who was who had the best score had 90 cents. So 85 cents, 90 cents. There was just, you know, the I I was done. So standing there, and somebody who writes articles for the billiard digest is one of the camera guys in the back. Go figure. So he hands Bob Barker a note that says, You have in front of you, you know, world champion Lori John Jones, who does that, you know. So he reads the thing, and I'm like, yes, yes. I was so excited, you know, that he knew. And while I'm spinning the wheel, I get my first wheel spin is 85 cents. Now I can't go over a dollar. There's no, there's no way. So now I'm talking to him, I gave him a kiss on the cheek, I'm all happy, you know, and I spun the wheel and I'm thinking I'm done. And I hear Vivian screaming so loud in the audience, and I look up and I get 15 cents. I get the dollar.

Mike Gonzalez

Oh my.

LoreeJon

So now, so now even more excited, I I spin again and it goes, it it stops on the dollar and flips over to the other. So I win another 5,000.

Allison Fisher

Wow.

LoreeJon

Yeah. Oh, it was a great day. So then I get into now. I'm in the now I'm in the in the in the thing in the in the showcase showdown, whatever. I get it. I win, I win the showcase showdown. Oh I kept looking back, I kept looking at the audience, looking at the audience. I said, I'm telling you, that's what you do. That's incredible. It was so much fun. It was so that's incredible. It was, it was so much fun.

Mark Wilson

That's a bow on a magical career right there to go there and win every damn thing they have.

Allison Fisher

That was worth getting up early for, wasn't it?

LoreeJon

Oh, totally. Totally. I I was crying so bad. I called, I can't remember. I called Sammy and I'm like, I won! He goes, What do you mean you won? I go, I won everything.

Mike Gonzalez

Oh well, Mark, thanks for prompting Lori John on that story. And speaking of speaking of bow, then we we will put a a bow on this walk down memory lane for you, Lori John. And uh as you'll come to find out if you listen to some of our other interviews, we are asking everybody the same three final questions. So if you're ready, I'll ask you question number one. Okay. So you're 20 years old again. Okay, you're going back in time, but you know at 20 what you know now. What would you have done differently?

LoreeJon

I don't think anything. I really don't. I I I don't think because at 20. I I mean I I was you know, I mean, if you if if I'm going back to 20, knowing what is going to happen now, I mean I don't think because you can't really because I wouldn't change anything. I I mean I'm happy with what with with what I did.

Mike Gonzalez

That works for us.

LoreeJon

My answer.

Mike Gonzalez

That works for us. That's your final answer.

Allison Fisher

I'm not gonna tell listening to this interview. It was it's been amazing.

Mike Gonzalez

Yeah, you can phone a friend, but if that's your all right, Mark. Question number two, Mark.

Mark Wilson

You know, if you could look back on all your matches and you could take one shot back, uh a career mulligan shot, can you think of one that you would like to have back?

LoreeJon

Yeah, probably, probably the Gordons, the Gordons tournament where I uh where I hung the nine balls for Robin Dodson to win. Oh my goodness. I I I my position, I would I think I was so nervous to because that would have been like my fifth one, you know, and I was so I was so nervous and and I got unfortunately I got like on the rail. I the only place on the whole table that you don't want to get on the with your cue ball, I got on the rail. And even though I hit the ball, I mean I hit it, I thought I hit it pretty good. I mean, I don't, you know, just pocket just didn't take it. So I would love to, I would love to have that shot back again.

Allison Fisher

She dominated all of those tournaments, the Gordons, Gin and Vogker. No, I didn't.

LoreeJon

No. Yeah, you did. That's why I said I did, yes, yeah. Yes, you did. Yeah.

Allison Fisher

Well, the last question is how would Laurie John like to be remembered?

LoreeJon

As a kind person, as somebody who doesn't give up, and who is a strong woman, and who's a wonderful family person.

Allison Fisher

That's a good way to end it. That was a wonderful answer. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez

Laura, John, we sure appreciate you being with us, and we thank you for adding your story to all of Poole's greats that we have had and will have on Legends of the Q. I hope you've enjoyed this little stroll down memory lane.

LoreeJon

For sure. I I am really, I'm truly honored to to I even even Alison when she called and asked me, I was like, I said, oh my god, I'm so honored. You know, I was like, you know, and and uh yeah, so I I'm I'm I thank you guys for doing this. I think it's awesome, and I and I hope it I hope ratings go through the roof and hope it's very successful.

Allison Fisher

Thank you so much for joining us and giving us your time.

Mark Wilson

Yeah, great story. It's a privilege for me to be on there with you.

LoreeJon

Thank you, Mark. You're you're you're you when when when somebody says something about the best, you know, um instructor, I'm like, oh yeah, you gotta go to Mark will you gotta go to his clinic.

Mike Gonzalez

Well, thanks, Lori John.

LoreeJon

Thank you.

Allison Fisher

All right. Thank you for listening to another episode of Legends of the Q. If you like what you hear, wherever you listen to your podcast, including Apple and Spotify, please follow, subscribe, and spread the word. Give our podcast a five-star rating and share your thoughts. Visit our website and support our Paul History project. Until our next golden break with more Legends of the Cube, so long everybody.

Ogonowski-Brown, LoreeJon Profile Photo

LoreeJon Ogonowski-Brown’s story reads like the origin myth of modern women’s professional pool: a once-in-a-generation prodigy with a basement table, a fiercely supportive family, and a competitive fire that turned early slights into lifelong fuel. Born November 6, 1965, and raised in Garwood, New Jersey, LoreeJon grew up with a full-sized table as part of the family’s everyday landscape, an environment that made the game feel less like an extracurricular and more like a native language.

Her first and most influential coach was her father, John Ogonowski, who famously built wooden boxes around the table so his young daughter could reach and learn proper mechanics, an image that captures both the practicality and the imagination that defined her start. Her mother became her regular practice partner, helping turn raw talent into repeatable excellence. Those early repetitions mattered: by age five she was already running racks, and by six she was performing trick shots, experiences that sharpened her touch, nerves, and showmanship long before the bigger titles arrived.

LoreeJon didn’t just learn pool early, she entered the competitive world early. She became a professional within the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) as a pre-teen and quickly earned a reputation for poise under pressure. Over time, that reputation condensed into one of the most memorable nicknames in the sport: “Queen of the Hill,” a nod to her uncanny ability to come roaring back, push matches to a deciding game, and then close the door when it mattered most.

Then c…Read More