My Take
Leslie West was one of those guitarists who made you feel the weight of every note — a big man with an even bigger sound. His work with Mountain is the stuff of hard rock legend; "Mississippi Queen" is one of those riffs that's burned into the DNA of anyone who grew up on classic rock radio, and his tone on that song alone should earn him eternal respect. He came out of Queens, New York, went to Forest Hills High School — same school that produced the Ramones, which tells you something about the neighborhood — and carved out a style that sat somewhere between blues grit and hard rock swagger. Rolling Stone eventually ranked him among the greatest guitarists ever, and honestly, it felt overdue. He passed away in December 2020, but that raw, bluesy roar he conjured from a Les Paul doesn't get old.
Overview
Leslie Abel West (born Weinstein; October 22, 1945 – December 23, 2020) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Mountain. West was named the 245th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Leslie West
- Name (Japanese)
- レスリー・ウェスト
- Reading
- れすりー・うぇすと
- Born
- October 22, 1945 – December 23, 2020
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rooster
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / guitarist / songwriter / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Forest Hills High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.