ABBA

In 1969, he appeared on the Jerry Lee Lewis compilation, Country Music Hall of Fame Hits 1, with The Jordanaires, a group with whom he would perform off and on for three decades.

He hooked up with The Lea Jane Singers in the 1970s and sang background vocals with a variety of artists, including Donna Fargo, David Rogers, Troy Seals, Carl Smith and Conway Twitty.

In the 1980s, he leant his singing talent to the following albums: Don’t it Break Your Heart by Con Hunley; The Wayward Wind by James Galway; Shadowland by k.d. lang; and, For the Memories Volumes 1 & 2 by Don McLean. He became a regular fixture in The Jordanaires in 1982, replacing the late Hoyt Hawkins.

In 1991, he re-joined Don McLean for his Christmas album. Then, he did a cinematic turn, again with The Jordanaires, on the soundtrack of Rock-A-Doodle. In 1993, he accompanied Billy Ray Cyrus on the aptly titled CD, It Won’t Be the Last. He took a turn down Sesame Street on the 1995 children’s album, C is for Cookie.

In 1996, The Jordanaires released Great Gospel Songs, and Duane made guest appearances on K.T. Oslin’s My Roots Are Showing and Jimmy Sturr’s Polka! All Night Long. He reunited with Sturr on Living on Polka Time and was a member of the vocal ensemble on All the King’s Men by Scotty Moore in 1997. In 1998, he backed up Loretta Lynn on All Time Gospel Favorites and The Jordanaires were enshrined in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He also moonlighted with Val Storey in the 1990s in a gospel outfit known as Spoken For.

Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he became ill in 1999. He passed away in Shelbyville, Tennessee, in 2002. Ernest Duane West has left behind a generous legacy of music, however, including The Conway Twitty Collection, Don McLean Sings Sonny James, and The Essential Waylon Jennings.

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