Mountain guitarist Leslie West recovering from leg amputation
Published 7:54 pm Monday, June 20, 2011
BILOXI, Miss. — Leslie West, guitarist for the rock group Mountain, is recovering after his lower right leg was amputated.
His wife, Jenni West, says the amputation was needed to stop a foot infection from spreading throughout her 65-year-old husband’s body. He has diabetes. Publicist Steve Karas forwarded her statement to The Associated Press.
Manager Bob Ringe says West’s leg began swelling Friday after a plane trip from New Jersey to Biloxi, where the group was to play Friday night. He says the operation was done Monday morning.
Mountain was among the groups that played at Woodstock. Early hits included “Mississippi Queen,” “Never In My Life,” “Theme From An Imaginary Western” and “Nantucket Sleighride.”
The Wests were married on stage after Mountain’s performance at the Woodstock 40th anniversary concert in Bethel, New York.
