Elbert West

Elbert West
Birth name Elbert Lee West
Born 1968
Origin West Virginia, U.S.
Genres Country
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1991–2003
Labels Broken Bow
Associated acts Tracy Lawrence, John Michael Montgomery

Elbert Lee West (born 1968 in West Virginia) is an American country music artist. Initially a session songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, West saw his first chart success in the 1990s as a co-writer on singles for country singer Tracy Lawrence, including the Number Ones "Sticks and Stones" and "Can't Break It to My Heart".[1][2] West also co-wrote album tracks for other artists, including tracks for Tim McGraw and John Michael Montgomery.[3]

By 2001, West had signed to Broken Bow Records, then a newly formed independent label, and his debut album, Livin' the Life, was released that year.[1] West co-wrote ten of the album's thirteen tracks,[3] while others — including "(This One's Gonna) Leave a Mark", previously recorded by John Michael Montgomery — were co-written by Randy Archer and Johnny Park, formerly of the duo Archer/Park. Lead-off single "Diddley", which peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. "Diddley" was also made into a music video, which aired on CMT.[2] Erik Hage of Allmusic gave the album four stars out of five, saying, "West has a big, husky baritone, a keen songwriting ability, a defiant attitude, and is a major country talent."[4]

Discography

Livin' the Life (2001)

Livin' the Life
Studio album by Elbert West
Released 2001
Genre Country
Label Broken Bow
Producer D. Scott Miller

Track listing

  1. "Crawlin' Time" (Judy Hoffman, Elbert West) – 3:22
  2. "Side of the Road" (D. Scott Miller, Elbert West) – 3:46
  3. "Diddley" (Doc James Shapiro, C.B. Carter) – 2:52
  4. "Neon Light" (Elbert West, Earl Clark) – 3:35
  5. "(This One's Gonna) Leave a Mark" (John Michael Montgomery, David Lee, Johnny Park, West) – 3:34
  6. "Unpredicatable" (D. Scott Miller, Elbert West) – 2:35
  7. "Livin' the Life" (Randy Archer, West) – 3:33
  8. "Robin Loves to Hear Me Sing" (D. Scott Miller, John Ramey) – 4:21
  9. "My Last Resort" (D. Scott Miller) – 3:08
  10. "Sinner" (Miller, Elbert West, Ken Prueitt) – 3:46
  11. "Middle of the Line" (Lee, Elbert West) – 3:14
  12. "Everything That He's Not" (D. Scott Miller, Elbert West, Stewart Harris) – 5:23
  13. "Kiss My Lips Goodbye" (D. Scott Miller, Elbert West, Even Stevens) – 2:57

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
2001 "Diddley" 56 Livin' the Life
"Unpredictable" —
2002 "(This One's Gonna) Leave a Mark" —
2004 "A Beautiful Day for Goodbye" — singles only
"Kimberly Cooper's Eyes" —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video
2001 "Diddley"
"Unpredictable"

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hage, Erik. "Elbert West biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Downs, Jolene. "Elbert West - Livin' the Life review". About.com. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Claffey, Laura. "Elbert West interview". Country Interviews Online. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  4. ↑ Hage, Erik. "Livin' the Life review". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 February 2010.