On this day, November 15, 2003, pedal steel guitarist and record producer Speedy West died.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Speedy West

Birth name: Wesley Webb West
Born: January 25, 1924
Origin: Springfield, Missouri, United States
Died: November 15, 2003 (aged 79)

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. West, who began playing a pedal steel guitar built by Paul A. Bigsby in 1948, was the first country steel guitarist to use a pedal guitar. Nashville players like Bud Isaacs would adopt it in the early 1950s.

He was photographed by Herb Wise, the American photographer who found critical success with his portraits of artists from the 1960s and 1970s.

{snip}

Not a lot there. Maybe there's something on YouTube.

Speedy and Jimmy - Flyin' High
209,254 views Jun 9, 2009

pappyredux
3.83K subscribers

The incomparable duo of Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant burning the Hometown Jamboree down with their own number, which would later be recorded as 'Cotton Pickin'. Hold on to your hats!

Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West w-Tennessee Ernie Ford Live 1950s- 4 songs
58,258 views Jun 22, 2016

Chris Clem
1.43K subscribers

I didn't have good video for this but I did have some decent audio from this 16mm film which I tried to sync.Video footage of Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree Band with Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West backing Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1951 or 52 ? (Not sure of this date). There are 4 songs here.I do know they also did the song (Women is a Five letter word) at this session but I didn't have the video for it.Video quality is bad but any footage of Jimmy and Speedy playing together is rare ......great stuff!

Guitar - Jimmy Bryant
Guitar - Eddie Kirk
Steel Guitar - Speedy West
Piano / Accordian Billy Liebert
Bass - Al Williams
Drums - Roy Harte

Speedy West #1 (From the TV Show "Country Style" 1963-64)
13,239 views Jul 22, 2018

emerysmemories
8.89K subscribers

Speedy West #1 (From the TV Show "Country Style" 1963-64)

This is just a clip from the TV show Country Style created by
The LeGarde Twins back in 1963-64. We will be posting the full shows soon and Speedy West plays lots of Steel Rides behind a lot of the singers in those shows.

We pulled his feature performances and posted all 7 of them first to kind of wet your whistle. The LeGarde Twins released these shows to our channel and in return I want to promote their incredible book.

The LeGarde Twins "Showbiz Hustlers" it is available through
Amazon.com Their life story is a great read and makes for a perfect gift for all the country music fans out there!

We hope you subscribe to this channel and enjoy these Speedy West performances. Just click on the play list at the end of each song to watch them all... Thanks!

Speedy West plays "On The Alamo" live on TV 1956!
113,033 views Dec 14, 2009

KoolKlipsFromDeke
2.56K subscribers

Here Speedy West plays live on L.W.'s show, playing his version of "On The Alamo." This is a super-rare clip, there isn't much vintage Speedy West footage out there, to the best of my knowledge this hasn't ever seen the light of day. Here Speedy plays his Fender steel guitar with hand-tooled leather front "apron" on it. R.I.P. Speedy West!

Merle Travis /Speedy West/ Judy Hayden 3 songs 1951
113,361 views Aug 23, 2016

Chris Clem
1.43K subscribers

Merle Travis - Guitar/Vocals
Judy Hayden - Vocals
Speedy West - Steel Guitar
Eddie Kirk - Guitar
Harold Hensley - Fiddle
Danny Alguire - Trumpet
Red Wooten ? - Bass

I'm including Tennessee Ernie Ford and Merle Travis in the reference links, as Speedy West shows up in many of the attached video clips there.

Sun Oct 20, 2024: On this day, October 20, 1983, Merle Travis died.

Thu Oct 17, 2024: On this day, October 17, 1955, Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of "Sixteen Tons" was released.

Thu Oct 17, 2024: On this day, October 17, 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford died.

Wed Nov 29, 2023: On this day, November 29, 1917, Merle Travis was born.

Wed Nov 15, 2023: On this day, November 15, 2003, Speedy West died.

Fri Oct 20, 2023: On this day, October 20, 1983, Merle Travis died.

Tue Oct 17, 2023: On this day, October 17, 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford died.

Mon Feb 13, 2023: Tennessee Ernie Ford was born on this date.

Tue Nov 29, 2022: On this day, November 29, 1917, Merle Travis was born.

Tue Nov 15, 2022: On this day, November 15, 2003, Speedy West died.

Mon Oct 17, 2022: On this day, October 17, 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford died.

Mon Nov 15, 2021: On this day, November 15, 2003, Speedy West died.

Sat Feb 13, 2021: Tennessee Ernie Ford was born on this date-

Wed Feb 13, 2019: He was born 100 years ago today: Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Everyone remembers that one tune of his:

Sun Sep 2, 2018: 1965 version of Sixteen Tons

Fri Oct 20, 2017: October 20: This Day in Music

[ProfessorGAC]

1. He's Very Good

The first one with Jimmy is my favorite. Jimmy is really good, too.
They both have clear jazz influences in their playing.