LESLIE WEST Speaks With Howard Stern Following Amputation; Audio Posted
June 23, 2011, 13 years ago
One of the Howard Stern Show's favorite musical guests, legendary MOUNTAIN guitarist LESLIE WEST, has just undergone an emergency amputation to, in the words of his reps, “save his life.”
According to a statement from his reps, West, 65, had flown in to Mississippi over the weekend to perform with his band, Mountain.
On Sunday, his leg began to swell. Because he is diabetic, West was immediately taken to the emergency room, where he made “the decision to go through an amputation in order to save his life,” publicist Steve Karas and manager Bob Ringer said in a joint statement. The limb was amputated to the knee.
“Surgery was a success,” they said.
West is expected to recover but faces an arduous physical rehabilitation.
As leader of Mountain, West scored hits with 'Mississippi Queen' and 'Theme for an Imaginary Western'. Aside from his numerous apperances on Stern’s radio show, West also served as musical director for Stern’s TV show, and worked extensively with the late Sam Kinison.
Listen as West calls in to the show in the clip below:
