Elbert West

New traditionalist country singer Elbert West had a strong taste of success in the early '90s when he penned Tracy Lawrence's first two big hits, "Sticks and Stones" and "Can't Break It to My Heart." But subsequent years of spending all his royalties and trying to eke out a living as a songwriter in Nashville -- a town that, throughout the '90s, increasingly turned its back on the classic brand of country he writes -- led to him becoming a recording artist himself. West released his debut album, Livin' the Life, in 2001. The effort serves up the kind of country once put to vin...