Brian West was born in Tupelo, MS and grew up in the same neighborhood as Elvis Presley, which is East Tupelo. He started his musical path at age eight, playing keyboards and guitar while listening to artists such as The Doors, Moody Blues, Jerry Lee Lewis, Uriah Heep, Jimmie Rodgers, Muddy Waters, Elvis and The Beatles. His older brother played a great part on influencing musical tastes such as classic rock.
Brian was only seven when Elvis died but remembers the day clearly. Because the day after the funeral people from all over the world flocked to Tupelo. It was then while sitting at the Lawhon School playground, the band mates of Elvis pulled up in a gold colored car with curtains around the back windows. They got out and came over to talk with Brian. He admits being a little scared of seeing Ronnie Tutt with the beard and long hair. They asked him, "did he know any Elvis songs & how did it feel to go to the same school Elvis went to?"... then showed him one of the gold chains from Elvis and a scarf. He was asked to sing a little of “Hound Dog†with one of the band members and walked around the school with them, looking through the windows at the classrooms. Brian didn't realize how famous these musicians were till he saw them in the movie "This Is Elvis" which came out soon after. But all of this certainly gave him the drive to be a pro musician and there's no way Elvis, plus blues and country couldn't be an influence. Later Brian discovered that Elvis had a close friend who had lived in the same home he grew up in and Elvis used to come over to visit often and played guitar and sang on that very front porch.
During the 3rd grade, Brian began studying classical piano under Ruth Johnston at Lawhon Elementary School, in Tupelo, Mississippi. Although he knew he had to learn the basics first, and took in all possible from his classical teacher, on the side he was listening to Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and 50's bands as much as possible. In his late teens he studied classical guitar under Cass Patrick at Itawamba Community College, along with fine art courses and majoring in Music Business at The University of Memphis.
Brian began playing in clubs around the age of 15 with his Aunt and Grandfather's band performing mostly Country and Blues. He also started his own Metal band called Witching Hour which played all over the South and also won awards in competitions at the University of Mississippi and the Mid-South Fair in Memphis, TN. Then, around the age of eighteen, Brian began focusing more on keyboards than guitar and started a new career in music.
Through the years, he's played keys for many bands such as the classic rock group Prizm in (Tupelo, MS) which included his brother Kenneth Ray West, James Pirkle, Danny Gunter, Larry Shaw, and Nikkyle Wells. Other bands and projects included Yow (Memphis, TN), Shadow Cats (Monterey, CA), Paragon (Merced, CA), Sci Fi (Oakland, CA), Ruben Ramirez (San Jose, CA), The Silver Eagle Band (Tampa, FL), Poet - Nhan Le, Poet - Raven, DJ-80 (Jupiter Rising), The Mudflaps (LA), The Groove (San Jose), Freddie Hughes (Oakland), JumpStart (Bobby Metcalf, Tulsa, OK) Jimi Hendrix cousin - Tony Simon ( also backing group for the Drifters), Memphis Exchange, MIR (San Francisco), Dusty Burke, The Bell Brothers, Jackson Stone Band and Two Time Grammy Nominated Recording Artist Tim Murphy. Brian and his brother Kenneth Ray also formed the group WEST, later renamed TakeWest and toured the South and West Coast.
Over the years and while playing with many bands across the U.S, Brian has shared the stage with acts such as Johnny Rivers, Johnny Wigginton, The Fryed Brothers, Hank Williams Jr., Phil Vassar, Emerson Drive, Chris Cagle, Rockie Lynne, JJ Cale, The Drifters, The Midnighters, Vern Gosdin, Johnny Gunn, Jo Dee Mesina, Tracy Byrd and even The Dave Mathews Band. As a studio musician he’s worked on many projects in Memphis, Nashville, San Francisco, LA and Tokyo.
Brian is currently busy playing with bands around Memphis and Nashville, writing and recording new songs and running Musician's Playground, Inc.. which is a Recording and Rehearsal Studio in Tupelo, MS.. The place is also getting alot of attention for touring bands to play in the showcase room.
Brian is also always busy promoting songs for Kirby Publishing(BMI) and writing blues songs when ever he gets the chance.
When he's not jamming with a band, fishing or writing new music you'll find him cruising down the coast in his Blue Convertible C5 Vette.:) Rockin out to his favorite music, George Jones!!!:) Sing it Possum!!
Tim Murphy & The NorCal Necks
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