Sonny West
Joe "Sonny" West (born July 30, 1937 in Clovis, Texas , † May 24, 2017 ) was an American rockabilly singer. He made significant contributions to the development of the " West Texas Sound ".
Life
Childhood and youth
Sonny West was the fifth and youngest child in the West family, who moved to El Morro, New Mexico after the birth of their last child . He was already listening to his parents' old records at the age of six and was influenced by Jimmie Rodgers , Hank Williams and the blues . During his youth he learned the mandolin and later also the guitar . He left school at 17 and worked in a grocery store. In addition, he earned a little extra as a local musician.
Career
A year later he formed his own band. In 1956 he got a recording contract with Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. There he published his first two self-written pieces Rock-Ola Ruby on the A-side and Sweet Rockin 'Baby on the B-side. In 1957 he wrote the pieces Oh Boy and Rave On! , which became hits in the version by Buddy Holly . By 1958 West took on various other rockabilly pieces. To this day, Sonny West appears publicly at various rockabilly events alongside Sleepy LaBeef or Sid King . He was also inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the West Texas Musicians Hall of Fame for his services to rockabilly music .
Private life
In 1970 he married actress Judy Jordan , whom he met on the set of Big Foot . He lived with her in Hendersonville, Tennessee until he died in May 2017 after suffering from cancer for several years.
Discography
year | title | Record company |
---|---|---|
1956 | Rock-Ola Ruby / Sweet Rockin 'Baby | Nor-Va-Jak Records |
1958 | Rave On! / Call on Cupid | Atlantic Records |
1961 | Wasted Days and Wasted Nights / Maybe You're The One | Band Box Records |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Delbert B. "Sonny" West, Jr. Obituary in Hendersonville Standard, May 30, 2017; accessed on July 19, 2020
Web links
- Entry into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Biography and images
- Sonny West in the Internet Movie Database (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | West, Sonny |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | West, Joe |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly singer |
DATE OF BIRTH | July 30, 1937 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Clovis, Texas |
DATE OF DEATH | May 24, 2017 |