Leslie West has gained fame the world over during his 30-plus year career as
one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock
music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock
trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock
Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on
the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as
“Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary
Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to
this day. Leslie has earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers.
During his career, he has recorded or played with a litany of rock icons
including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to
name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie
Sambora have all cited Leslie as an important influence on their own music.
Leslie’s bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his
own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life
figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his
hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he is at once
gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. And
when discussing his newest projects, he exudes an infectious enthusiasm and
excitement.
But Leslie has never been one to rest on his impressive laurels. His
boundless creativity has often involved him in projects that take him
outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.
In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy
film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular
animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the
WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also
contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.
Leslie has long been a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show
and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the
late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and
songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group,
Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass
Guitar.
Leslie West has been a creative force for over three decades and shows no
sign of losing his ambition or his desire to continually reinvent himself.
His ability to adapt his creative spirit to a diverse range of projects is a
key ingredient in the longevity of this multi-faceted entertainer’s success.
All humans have a unique fingerprint. In the world of guitar, Leslie has
that distictive sound and tone that is unique to him. There many clones, but
few who have voice of their own. When Leslie hits a note, you know it's him
and that's what makes him one of a kind.