Elbert West
Birth nameElbert Lee West
Born(1967-07-22)July 22, 1967
Welch, West Virginia, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 2015(2015-05-18) (aged 47)
Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active1990–2013
LabelsBroken Bow

Elbert Lee West (July 22, 1967 – May 18, 2015) was an American country music artist. Initially a session songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, West saw his first chart success in the 1990s as a co-writer on singles for country singer Tracy Lawrence, including the Number Ones "Sticks and Stones" and "Can't Break It to My Heart".[1][2] West co-wrote album tracks for other artists, including tracks for Tim McGraw and John Michael Montgomery.[3]

Biography

Elbert West was born on July 22, 1967.[4] Early in his musical career, West wrote songs for Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw, and John Michael Montgomery.

By 2001, he had signed to Broken Bow Records, then a newly formed independent label, and his debut album, Livin' the Life, was released that year.[1] West co-wrote ten of the album's thirteen tracks,[3] while others – including "(This One's Gonna) Leave a Mark", previously recorded by John Michael Montgomery – were co-written by Randy Archer and Johnny Park, formerly of the duo Archer/Park. "Diddley", which peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, was the album's lead single and West's only single to chart. "Diddley" was also made into a music video, which aired on CMT.[2] Erik Hage of AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five, saying, "West has a big, husky baritone, a keen songwriting ability, a defiant attitude, and is a major country talent."[5] After a falling out over a record, West left Broken Bow Records.

In 2013, West started having seizures. He died in Portland, Tennessee, on May 18, 2015, at the age of 47 from a stomach aneurysm. West is survived by his wife Tammy and their three children.[6][7]

Discography

Livin' the Life (2001)

Livin' the Life
Studio album by
Elbert West
Released2001
GenreCountry
LabelBroken Bow
ProducerD. Scott Miller

Track listing

  1. "Crawlin' Time" (Judy Hoffman, Elbert West) – 3:22
  2. "Side of the Road" (D. Scott Miller, West) – 3:46
  3. "Diddley" (Doc James Shapiro, C.B. Carter) – 2:52
  4. "Neon Light" (West, Earl Clark) – 3:35
  5. "(This One's Gonna) Leave a Mark" (John Michael Montgomery, David Lee, Johnny Park, West) – 3:34
  6. "Unpredictable" (Miller, West) – 2:35
  7. "Livin' the Life" (Randy Archer, West) – 3:33
  8. "Robin Loves to Hear Me Sing" (Miller, John Ramey) – 4:21
  9. "My Last Resort" (Miller) – 3:08
  10. "Sinner" (Miller, West, Ken Prueitt) – 3:46
  11. "Middle of the Line" (Lee, West) – 3:14
  12. "Everything That He's Not" (Miller, West, Stewart Harris) – 5:23
  13. "Kiss My Lips Goodbye" (Miller, West, Even Stevens) – 2:57

Personnel

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
2001 "Diddley" 56 Livin' the Life
"Unpredictable" —
2002 "(This One's Gonna) Leave a Mark" —
2004 "A Beautiful Day for Goodbye" — singles only
"Kimberly Cooper's Eyes" —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
2001 "Diddley"
"Unpredictable" Michael Merriman

References

  1. 1 2 Hage, Erik. "Elbert West biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  2. 1 2 Downs, Jolene. "Elbert West – Livin' the Life review". About.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Claffey, Laura. "Elbert West interview". Country Interviews Online. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  4. ↑ "FamilySearch". www.familysearch.org.
  5. ↑ Hage, Erik. "Livin' the Life review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  6. ↑ Skates, Sarah (May 19, 2015). "Lifenotes: Songwriter Elbert West". MusicRow. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Elbert Lee West". The Tennessean. May 20, 2015. p. 10A. Retrieved December 23, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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