This series of talks came about from a friendship that started in Alcoholics Anonymous over 40 years ago. When AA members talk about the program, they will often speak the names Bill and Bob. However, there are two other names that are often spoken about, with nearly equal reverence. These names are Joe McQuany, and Charlie Parmley, a team of two men known as “Joe and Charlie”, who met in 1973, and spent the next three decades spreading their interpretation of the Big Book.

Joe McQ. & Charlie P. met in 1973 when Joe introduced Charlie as the AA speaker at an Al-Anon Convention. Joe had wondered if Charlie might be the country-western singer Charlie Pride. He wasn’t even the right color, Joe laments. They instantly discovered their mutual fascination with AA’s basic text The Big Book. What interested them most was that The Big Book was written in a particular sequence to convey certain ideas. That interest began a close friendship which has lasted to this day. They would frequently meet to discuss the book, often driving 225 miles to meet in each other’s homes.

These two men are credited with making the Big Book of AA more accessible to many who otherwise found the language archaic, or just downright confusing.

Joe McQ. passed away on Oct. 25, 2007

Charlie P. passed away on April 21, 2011

This is a 34 part audio as found on Silkworth.net

 AA History Part 1 [19 min 37 sec]

2. AA History Part 2 [17 min 56 sec]

3. AA History Part 3 [19 min 17 sec]

4. AA History Part 4 [14 min 58 sec]

5. Doctors Opinion -1 [22 min 19 sec]

6. Doctors Opinion -2 [24 min 54 sec]

7. Doctors Opinion -3 [09 min 51 sec]

8. Bill’s Story – 1 [26 min 14 sec]

9. Bill’s Story – 2 [25 min 26 sec]

10. There is a Solution – 1 [23 min 28 sec]

11. Spiritual Experience [17 min 24 sec]

12. There is a Solution – 2 [12 min 59 sec]

13. More about Alcoholism – 1 [20 min 53 sec]

14. More about Alcoholism – 2 [12 min 42 sec]

15. We Agnostics – 1 [20 min 28 sec]

16. We Agnostics – 2 [17 min 29 sec]

17. How It Works – 1 [28 min 01 sec]

18. How It Works – 2 [32 min 16 sec]

19. The 3rd Step [7 min 16 sec]

20. The 4th Step – 1 [20min 15 sec]

21. The 4th Step – 2 [27 min 07 sec]

22. The 4th Step – 3 [15 min 23 sec]

23. Freedom from Bondage [13 min 37 sec]

24. The 4th Step [31 min 24 sec]

25. The 4th Step – List of Fears [22 min 33 sec]

26. The 4th Step – Sex List [25 min 57 sec]

27. The 4th Step – List of Harm [7 min 28 sec]

28. The 5th Step [15 min 16 sec]

29. The 6th and 7th Step [13 min 46 sec]

30. The 8th Step [9 min 27 sec]

31. The 8th and 9th Step [29 min 45 sec]

32. The 10th Step [8 min 34 sec]

33. The 11th Step [17 min 17 sec]

34. The 12th Step [16 min 33 sec]