Interview below is from the August 2009 issue. The last CATB interview.

1) Firstly Jim, can you bring us up to date with what Charlie & the Bhoys have been up to over the last few months?

Over the Summer we have been on tour. June: Started out in Perth Australia for the Celtic convention. We played 3 sell out nights for the Perth CSC. This convention was really well put together and with Billy McNeill, Willie Wallace, Murdo McLeod and Agnes Johnstone in attendance it was one to remember. We also toured England that month playing for the Derby CSC and we played for the Keighley CSC at the annual 6 a side soccer tournament of the North England CSCs which was won by the Scarborough CSC. July: We toured Ireland, playing out in Achill Island, Mayo and Gweedor in Donegal with wee Bertie Auld and Big Tam Gemmell as our guests. After that we did an open air concert up in Ballycastle, Antrim, and the massive crowd had a nice warm summers night just to make it better. We then headed out to Benidorm to see the Bhoys in the Celtic Tavern. After that we were down in London for the Fulham game then up to Bradford for the CSC there. August: We played in the Beehive on the Falls Road and the PD club in Andy Town. Then back in Ireland again playing in Kinawley Co Fermanagh, and John Ts in Dungiven.

2) Jim what were your musical influences growing up and who influenced you to start playing music?

I was a massive Stones fan as was my older brother Tam. He started me playing guitar 46 years ago when I was 8 years old and by the time I was 16, I was playing in pubs and clubs. In 1973, I used play 6 nights a week in the El Paso Bar in Barlanark, which was a notorious east end bar that later became the famous Caravel Bar owned by the late Tam McGraw. After that I had a band with Rab McEwan the lead singer with Glasgow band Scheme. At the age of 20 I took up classical guitar and done a years course but went back to my rock roots with Rab McEwan playing all around the Glasgow area. In they days pubs were busy 7 nights a week. I eventually gave up the gigging as I had a young family and a good trade as an electrician so I took a job out in Iraq at my trade. That job led to another and another so for the next 20 years I worked all over Africa and Europe.

3) Can you take us back to the beginning of the band, and the venues that kicked started CATB?

I was working down in Cape Town South Africa in 1989 and decided it was time to go home and I started playing in the Squirrel Bar at the Barras in Glasgow. I played there every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, and in Bairds Bar Sunday afternoons. This was the venues that started CATB.

4) Jim, You have written and performed a lot of tributes about Celtic players over the years, which players did you admire growing up in Glasgow?

Being in CATB I get to meet most of the players past and present, so it's easy to write a song when you have had the privilege of being friends with who you are writing about. Your right, I have written several tributes but my new song for Tommy Burns really came from the heart. As you know I am still in remission from cancer myself and Tommy came to see me in hospital when I was ill and told me he was praying for me. That was Tommy. I knew him from the early days when I was friends with Johnny Doyle and we stayed in touch all these years. He will always be my hero, but growing up Bertie Auld who is  now my great friend was my boy hood hero.

5) Since you were diagnosed with cancer it's well known that the band work tirelessly for charity, what have CATB done so far this year?

This year so far we have ran five 10k races with one more to do on 7th September in Glasgow. We also recorded a 12 track pop CD, yes, pop CD for the Hospice in Glasgow that Franco the owner of the Brazen Head died in. Wrote and recorded the new Tommy Burns song for cancer and our next Barrowlands gig on 26th September will be in aid of the Macmillan cancer trust and the new charity set up by the Burns family for skin cancer. Oh and a skydive that put a few years on us. Also let me mention that our roadie Mick the Click's wife is at present under going radio therapy at the Beatson in Glasgow for 3 brain tumours and we are doing a special night for her at the Barrowlands lounge bar on Thursday 25th September, the night before our main gig if anyone want to come along they are welcome. Pat and Alan from Shebeen will be kindly supporting us that night. Plug Plug.

6) What is your favourite songs that you perform?

Don't really have a favourite but I love it when the audience sing along to songs I have wrote, it makes the writing worthwhile. My new Tommy Burns song is up there though. I co wrote this with my pal Danny McDonagh from Toronto. Danny also co wrote Raised on Celtic with me.

7) You have played all over the World what have been the most memorable gigs and have there been any you would rather forget?

Yes, we have played on every continent but most gigs we do are sold out and well organised in advance so the audience are always well up for it. Our gig in Seville when we had 15,000 people watching us was fantastic even though the Spanish ripped us off it was memorable. The Barrowlands is always great. Been a few hard ones when playing in the USA and Canada when we get locals at the gig who know nothing about Celtic and have never seen a soccer match.

8) You met Albert Kidd in Australia what was he like?

He was a great guy, told us some funny stories. After that famous game he was telling us how half the dressing room would not speak to him and the other half loved him, he was from Edinburgh and could not understand how after scoring 2 goals and winning the match his own manager would not speak to him. He also told us about a hearts fan that sent him a letter and when he opened it the guy had done a number 2 in it.

9) What's the strangest thing that has happened to you on tour?

A classic was last year. We were flying out to Australia via Dubai and our equipment did not make the connection in Dubai so we landed in Australia with no luggage or equipment. After a massive row with the Australians they gave us 60 dollars each to buy toothpaste, etc. On the way out I was told to put my hand luggage through the security scanner and I told the security guy where to go, if you know what I mean? 3 Australian police then appeared and made me put my bag on the security belt. The guy then said, “there's something in there I don't like, pick your bag up and put it through again” This time I picked it up and threw on the belt and he said “we need to search you bag” by this I had lost it and called them all the names under the sun because I knew I had nothing it. He open my bag and pulled out a banana. I was speechless, I had never seen this banana and never knew were it came from. It turned out Tam the guitarist had laid it beside my bag on the fold down table on the plane and it had fell in to my bag unknown to me by mistake. After another 45 minutes of abuse I had to pay a fine of 240 dollars. When we took to the stage the following night the lads had removed my microphone and replaced it with a banana.

10) What are the bands thought on the continuing refusal of Celtic to accept your music when you have written so many great Celtic songs?

This is a touchy subject. Obviously we have people on the inside and the problem is that Celtic are scared of the press because we sing the odd song about Irish history. The press don't seen to know the difference between a sectarian song or a song about Irish history. Even if we do sing the odd song, so what? If Celtic fans don't like our songs then how come our gigs all over the world are sold out? Celtic FC are well aware that our web site has had over 300,000 hits and we have a massive following world wide but they will continue to deny the Celtic fans of our music being officially accepted. We did offered Celtic FC our music and told them to donate every CD they sell in their shops to charity but it fell on deaf ears. The blame lies with the Scottish media and their bigotry towards anything Irish.

11) Jim, you were very unwell with cancer, how are you doing now?

I'm doing great now but it's been a long road. I'm 3 years in remission with 2 years to go before I get the all clear. I'm now keeping myself very fit and apart from running all these 10k races and being off the drink, I'm visiting the gym 3 times a week. I also do a lot of work for the hospice and visit cancer patients that have my illness and need someone to talk to.

12) It's been great talking to you, finally, What are the bands plans for the future?