Speedy West | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wesley Webb West |
| Born | (1924-01-25)January 25, 1924 Springfield, Missouri U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 2003(2003-11-15) (aged 79) Broken Arrow, Oklahoma |
| Genres | Country music |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer,guitarist |
| Instrument | Pedal steel guitar |
| Years active | 1947-1981 |
| Labels | Capitol |
| Spouse | Opal Mae (married 1941-1964) |
Wesley Webb West (January 25, 1924 – November 15, 2003), better known asSpeedy West, was an Americanpedal steel guitarist andrecord producer. He frequently played withJimmy Bryant, both in their own duo and as part of the regularCapitol Records backing band forTennessee Ernie Ford and many others. The duo also recorded with non-Capitol artists in Los Angeles. In 1960, Speedy played on and producedLoretta Lynn's first single. During his time at Capitol, he played on over 6000 recordings, including pop records by artists likeFrank Sinatra andBing Crosby.[1] West, who began playingPaul Bigsby's second ever pedal steel guitar in 1947,[1] was the first country steel guitarist to use a pedal guitar. Nashville players likeBud Isaacs would adopt it in the early 1950s. After a stroke in 1981, West was unable to play pedal steel, but would continue to attend steel guitar conventions. His health would continue to deteriorate and he would pass away on November 15, 2003.[2]
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