Speedy West
Wesley Webb West (January 25, 1924 – November 15, 2003), better known as Speedy West, was an American pedal steel guitarist and record producer. He frequently played with Jimmy Bryant, both in their own duo and as part of the regular Capitol Records backing band for Tennessee Ernie Ford and many others. The duo also recorded with non-Capitol artists in Los Angeles. In 1960, Speedy played on and produced Loretta Lynn's first single. During his time at Capitol, he played on over 6000 recordings, including pop records by artists like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. West, who began playing Paul Bigsby's second ever pedal steel guitar in 1947, was the first country steel guitarist to use a pedal guitar. Nashville players like Bud 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. |
Birth and Death Data: Born January 25, 1924 (Springfield), Died November 15, 2003 (Oklahoma)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1950 - 1956
Roles Represented in DAHR: electric steel guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | E1VB-0659 | 10-in. | 6/29/1951 | The lamp of faith | Frank Worth Orchestra ; Roy Rogers ; Roy Rogers Riders ; Frank Worth | Male vocal solo, with male vocal ensemble and instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Victor | E1VB-0661 | 10-in. | 6/29/1951 | Good luck, good health, God bless you | Frank Worth Orchestra ; Roy Rogers ; Roy Rogers Riders ; Frank Worth | Male vocal solo, with male vocal ensemble and instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | HCO4085 | 10-in. | 6/8/1950 | Star spangled waltz | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4087 | 10-in. | 6/8/1950 | Barrel House Bessie | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4088 | 10-in. | 6/8/1950 | It ain't a gonna happen to me | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | HCO4193 | 10-in. | 8/2/1950 | Steppin' out | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4194 | 10-in. | 8/2/1950 | Set 'em up Joe | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4446 | 10-in. | 3/13/1951 | Sick sober and sorry | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band and vocal chorus | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4447 | 10-in. | 3/13/1951 | Tennessee walking horse | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4448 | 10-in. | 3/13/1951 | Keep your cotton pickin' hands off my gal | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4511 | 10-in. | 6/12/1951 | I found you out | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO4513 | 10-in. | 6/12/1951 | Ten trips to the altar | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO10004 | 10-in. | 9/27/1951 | In old New Mexico | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO10007 | 10-in. | 6/12/1951 | Alabama boogie boy | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO10157 | 10-in. | 4/23/1952 | The man behind the throttle | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO10158 | 10-in. | 4/23/1952 | Louisiana Lucy | Johnny Bond | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Columbia | RHCO10160 | 10-in. | 3/25/1952 | Diesel smoke, dangerous curves | Gene Autry ; Carl Cotner Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
Decca | L 9127 | 4/5/1956 | Southern fried chicken | Hank Penny | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |||
Decca | L 9128 | 4/5/1956 | I'd rather pick a guitar | Hank Penny | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |||
Decca | L 9129 | 4/5/1956 | Rock of Gibraltar | Hank Penny | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |||
Decca | L 9130 | 4/5/1956 | Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma'am | Hank Penny | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |||
Decca | L 9174 | 4/19/1956 | Texas never would-a made it (without Ol' Tennessee) | Hank Penny | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "West, Speedy," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/350516.
West, Speedy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/350516.
"West, Speedy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Speedy West
Discogs: Speedy West
Allmusic: Speedy West
IMDb: Speedy West
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: West, Speedy - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91093405
Wikidata: Speedy West - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1351286
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/41022377
MusicBrainz: Speedy West - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bd9f96c7-813f-4515-ae3a-a9ec906dffea
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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