Leslie West went to Forest Hills High School, a public secondary school in Queens, New York. The Ramones, Burt Bacharach and Paul Simon also attended the same school. Leslie West recalled to us: "The Ramones, they were younger than me, but Johnny Ramone lived across the street from me when I lived in Forest Hills. Before they were a group, he wanted to be our roadie. I didn't graduate, by the way."
West has been performing since 1965, when he fronted the soul-fired The Vagrants in his native New York City. His brother Larry played bass. They had two minor hits in the Eastern US: 1966's "I Can't Make a Friend" and a cover of Otis Redding's "Respect" the following year.
In 1969, West and Felix Pappalardi, who was also working with the British psychedelic blues-rock trio Cream, formed the pioneering hard rock act Mountain. The band name was also the title of West's debut solo album and was a reference to his one-time physical bulk.
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