Birth name James West Role Guitarist Name Jim West | Years active 1979-present Movies UHF | |
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Occupation(s) Guitarist, composer, producer Instruments Guitar, banjo, mandolin, keyboards, vocals Albums Coconut Hat, Livin's EZ - The Hawaiian Tribute to Sublime Profiles | ||
Associated acts "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||
James West (born December 18, 1953), also known as Kimo West, is a Canadian guitarist, best known for working with "Weird Al" Yankovic. He auditioned for Yankovic after being introduced by Steve Jay and the two have worked together ever since. West can be heard and seen on all of Yankovic's videos, albums, and concerts since 1984.
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West is also a composer for film and television and produced a number of CDs for independent artists. He has released seven solo slack-key guitar albums. He performs regularly at concerts and festivals.
Early life
West was born in Toronto, Ontario on December 18, 1953. He grew up in Tampa, Florida.
Career
At age 12, West started playing guitar. By age 16, he was playing professionally in various Florida rock bands, including at least one with Steve Jay.
In the early 1980s, he came to Los Angeles, where Jay introduced him to "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Currently, West resides in the Los Angeles area, but spends several months a year in Hawaii. He retains his Canadian citizenship.