Melinda Bailey
Charlie Smith Interview
Charlie Smith lives in North Texas and has been playing pool longer than a lot of you and I have been alive (he’s 71 years old and been playing since the age of 10).
H
e and his wife Nancy have been through a lot of tough times, and are great examples of how love, respect and determination, all with a great sense of humor, helps them live life with perseverance. You will be very surprised with this interview. My hope is everyone learns from Charlie and Nancy:
Charlie Smith
12 | Billiards Buzz • March 2018
Q: When and where did you start playing pool? A: I stared playing about 10 years old in a bowling alley where I bowled in Dallas. I was on a 2-man team with a friend and we won state two years in a row in the 11-12 age group. I lost interest in bowling about that time and
turned toward playing pool because they put some 9ft tables in two years prior. My dad was not a pool player, but had played some and told me to pursue any interest I had and to “just put in your best effort” like any other sports I played in. I was the only child and my mother was overprotective of me and did not want me playing phys-