Jim Armstrong

Who is Jim Armstrong?

James 'Jim' Armstrong is a guitarist from Northern Ireland.

Armstrong's musical career started while he was still a schoolboy, when he played in Belfast's top showband, The Melotones, who were resident in the city's Romano's Ballroom. Armstrong played and recorded in the mid-'60s with Van Morrison and Them, touring both Europe and America. Of the 51 tracks recorded by Morrison and Them, Armstrong played on over half, and while living in America met and played with Jim Morrison & The Doors, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa. During this time he was voted 3rd best guitarist in the world.

After leaving Them in 1969 Armstrong again teamed up with vocalist Kenny McDowell in Sk'Boo, alongside Ricky McCutcheon and Colm Connolly. Then he and McDowell formed the band Truth in Chicago with bassist Curtis Bachman and drummer Reno Smith. They also added ex-Them keyboards/vibes/flute/sax player Ray Elliott. In the late '70s, after playing with McDowell in Spike, Jim Armstrong was guitarist with Northern Irish rock outfit Light. Armstrong and his 'Light' bandmate Brian Scott also played in a brief 'Them' tour of Germany in 1979. In the '80s Armstrong and McDowell performed with a reformed Sk'Boo. It was with Sk'Boo that he played in The Errigle Inn, which was Belfast's most famous gig venue.