APA spokesman and billiard star Jeanette Lee has been elected to the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.
The United States Billiard Media Association announced that Lee and British promoter Barry Hearn have earned induction into the sport’s hall of fame by becoming the 61st and 62nd members.
Lee, 41, will enter the Greatest Players wing of the Hall of Fame, while Hearn, 65, will be honored for Meritorious Service. Both will be formally inducted during ceremonies on December 2, 2013, at the Mirage Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. Limited ticket availability for the ceremony will be released at a later date.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lee is unquestionably the most recognizable contemporary poolplayer in the world. As a player, Lee’s supreme confidence and drive took her to the Women’s Professional Billiards Association’s No. 1 ranking.
As a promoter and marketer, Lee parlayed her talent and looks into a small business empire that has resulted in untold amounts of exposure for both her and the sport. After boldly declaring her intention to become No. 1 in 1993, Lee wasted little time, winning three WPBA Classic Tour events, the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship and the WPBA Nationals in 1994. The incredible string of wins vaulted Lee to No. 1 and earned her Player-of-the-Year honors from both Billiards Digest and Pool & Billiard Magazine.
Lee won seven more Classic Tour titles from ’95-’99, and added two ESPN titles, the Tournament of Champions and Ultimate Shootout. In 2001, Lee earned the gold medal at the World Games in Akita, Japan. She has won a dozen titles in the 2000s, including the WPBA Florida Classic and BCA Open Championship in 2004. Lee’s accomplishments at the table are all the more impressive considering the physical ailments (scoliosis, arthritis, bursitis and more) that have resulted in 10 surgical procedures.
Off the table, Lee’s contributions and clout have been recognized in her 1998 selection as WPBA Sportsperson of the Year and her ranking as one of the industry’s most powerful people in the bi-annual Billiards Digest Power Poll in 2001, ’03, ’05 and ’07. She was featured in ESPN The Magazine’s annual “Body Issue,” has been ranked among the world’s sexiest female athletes, and has appeared in numerous television commercials and as a guest on countless national television shows. She has served as National Spokesperson for The Scoliosis Association and on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation.