Jim Armstrong

Jim Armstrong (born July 24, 1944 in Belfast , Northern Ireland ) is a British rock and blues guitarist.

Armstrong's musical career began when he was still at school. He initially played in Belfast with The Melotones , the house band of Romano's Ballroom . In the early 1960s he played for Them and Van Morrison , made records with them and accompanied them on their tours in Europe and the USA, where he stayed for four years, performed there and made recordings.

In about half of the 51 tracks that Them and Morrison recorded from 1965 to 1971, Armstrong worked as a guitarist. During this time in the USA he played with The Doors , Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa, among others . He was then voted the third best guitarist (behind Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa).

After he left Them in 1969, he formed the band Truth with Ray Elliot and Kenny McDowell . In the late 1970s he was guitarist for the Northern Irish band Light , in the 1980s he played with Sk'boo and since the 1990s he has led the Jim Armstrong Band .

Armstrong is a sought-after studio musician in Northern Ireland; he has appeared on numerous local recordings and productions for Ulster Television, BBC Television and various radio stations.

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