 From an early age, his older cousins would give him their records of The Beatles, The Monkees, Paul Revere and The Raiders whose music inspired him to ask his father for a guitar at the age of 7 years old.He was told by his father James Douglass West, a television writer for Lassie and Wonderful World of Disney and a former musician, that he had to learn the piano for one year before receiving a guitar, which he did.He then acquired a drum set after being inspired by the Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich drum battle album on Verve.