Rick West has been a singer/songwriter, session and recording musician since the late 60’s and over the years has written hundreds of songs. His love for music and performance has been on display across the continent over his career and continues to this day. Inspired by Elvis Presley and watching the little RCA dog spin round on the record player at 3 years old he has always known his destiny in life was singing and making new songs which he does as well today as he has over the years.
He has played through the years both in the studio and on stage and TV with many great musicians from Nanci Griffith to Townes van Zant, Rusty Wier to Willis Allen Ramsey, George Ensley, Dave Newsome, Roger Harcourt and Michael Camp.
He’s recorded with and produced records for Steve Young, David Wills, Nanci Griffith, Randy Thompson and others.
Rick has co-written songs with such great writers as Bill Shore, Nanci Griffith, Steve Dean, Bob Moulds, David Wills, Michael Woody, James Dean Hicks, Michael Camp, Leroy Preston, Rusty Wier, Liz Brause, Scott Emerick, Mark Miller and Kris Bergsnes. He had one of the busiest writer studios in Nashville for 25 years doing production and demos on Wild Horses (Garth Brooks), The Woodys, Peter Rodman, David Wills, Bug Music, Zoo Music, etc.
Rick West has worked with many great musicians including Lloyd Green, Al Perkins, Mark O’Connor, Stuart Duncan, Glen Duncan, Bela Fleck, Leroy Parnell, Tommy White, Spady Brannan, Jerry Kroon, Kenny Malone, Roy Huskey jr, Philip Donnelly, Les Taylor, David Frizzel, Hoot Hester, Leroy Preston, Floyd Domino, Cam King, Waller Collie, Fred Krc, David Palmroy and many others.
Past performances include those with Steve Fromholtz, Nanci Griffith, Townes Van Zant, Peter Rowan, Michael Hearne, Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, The Hager Brothers, Willis Allen Ramsey, Rusty Wier, Eric Taylor, Mike Williams, The Explosives, Rick West And the Hurricanes, Austin City Dog Band with Billy And Barry Cowsill. The first band he was in, Smoke – With Verlin, Steve, Tony and Garfield.
Just Lucky, his first band in Austin with Michael Hearne, Stu Shulman, Bill Carter, Lindsey on drums Louis Meyers. Crockett, Newsome, West band in northern Michigan. Dave, Willy and The Rick Brothers, and Easy Pickins at Wheatland Music Festival.
Rick’s songs have been recorded by George Strait, Martina McBride, Lacy J Dalton, Nanci Griffith, Maura O’Connell, Eddy London, Neil McCoy, Barbra Mandrell and others. He’s won BMI awards, Gold and Platinum records and has earned the love and respect of his fellow writers and musicians, entertainers. He’s still writing and recording from that ongoing passion of being a creative artist .
Rick hopes you will enjoy and come to love some of these songs the way he was inspired and loved the music of his friends and mentors such as Gordon Lightfoot.
Wishing you his best in all you do…
Thanks for coming by… and do come back again!