TVNZs Mori programme Koha talks to Billy T James in this studio interview. Yes. "" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. The personal story of New Zealand's most beloved entertainer Billy T James. Featuring standup comedy selections and live versions of songs such as "Running Bear" and "When A Child Is Born", this title was out-of-print for more than a decade before being re-released in CD format in 2008. Want this question answered? View wiki. "Billy came in and he was thin - there are photos of him and he is a very sick man. Entitled The Life and Times of Billy T. James, it was written by Matt Elliott and was based upon interviews with more than fifty friends and colleagues of Billy as well as wife Lynn and sister Ngaire. He was known for his big laugh and even bigger talent, but according to a documentary maker, Billy T James was terribly shy. In 1988 James suffered a major heart attack and underwent a quadruple bypass operation. Some of them couldn't wait long enough, they didn't make it, and so everyone knew why they were there and what the story was. Cherie hopes to do just that with this documentary.