Born in Concord, N.C., Staton didn’t take up pool until his 20s. He earned his nickname from a chain of hot-dog stands he started with his brother in Northern Virginia.
Staton was an active tournament and money player during the golden age of pool, making frequent appearances at the Johnston City “Hustlers’ Jamborees” in the 1960s. His resume included five Virginia State Pool Championship titles. However, he was perhaps best known as a mainstay on talk shows and USO tours. He made many guest appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The David Frost Show,” and “I’ve Got a Secret.”
In an interview with BD in 2005, BCA Hall-of-Famer Mike Massey cited Staton as his inspiration to become a trick-shot specialist, having seen him in an exhibition while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany. Staton was inducted into the One-Pocket Hall of Fame in 2005 as part of its inaugural class.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Norma Jean Staton; four sisters; three children; and four grandchildren.
