Photo courtesy of Johnzo West
A young Johnzo West (above) rocks out with his very first guitar and microphone, both of which he received as Christmas gifts one year.
Krueger alumnus Johnzo West enjoying national success as musician
By Andrea Roberts
Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES – Johnzo West’s time at Krueger Middle School changed his life forever.
West, a nationally famous musician, went through Krueger Middle School in seventh grade. He was in an environmental group, and starred in a musical which helped spark his interest in performing.
“I will never forget being in that musical,” West said. “I’ve always wanted to sing and act since then.”
West graduated from New Prairie High School in 2000. He went on to become a well-known singer, guitarist and songwriter. He succeeded because of his passion.
“I was just born with this passion, this urge and it’s just something that is always filling and always appealing to me and has brought me joy,” West said. “And I don’t think I can walk away from it if I tried.”
West has a great support system, which is also how he became successful. His aunt was a piano player. West and his four siblings used to all gather around the piano and sing as little kids at Christmas. He also would ride around with his dad and his siblings, listening to music and harmonizing.
“I kind of owe everything to the fam,” West said.
West and his stepbrother Drew Harris shared a room. Harris used to inspire and influence West by helping him and playing different kinds of music.
“There would have been so many things I would have to find on my own, and find the hard way if I didn’t have that influence,” West said.
West had a passion for drumming, so Drew nicknamed him Johnzo after Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham.
Photo courtesy of Leslie Samelson
This is the Krueger Middle School yearbook photo of Johnzo West,
who found his love for performing while in a musical as a Krueger student.
West did his own singing in the choir at Krueger Middle School, which led him to singing in the acapella choir as president of the group in high school.
“It was the first time I sang with a choir and got to feel the power of singing with a bunch of other people, and that really inspired me,” West said.
The musical was the first time that he was on stage in front of a crowd, and the first time he actually got to sign an autograph.
“I realized that I really enjoyed entertaining people on stage, so go Krueger for that wonderful experience,” West said.
West had a bond with now retired Krueger science teacher Leslie Samelson. Samelson helped West set up the environmental group called STOP, which stands for Students Thinking of Other Possibilities, and she organized meetings for the group.
Samelson and her husband were friends with West’s dad. They would all meet up and have dinner at Holley’s in Michigan City.
“She was absolutely amazing,” West said of Samelson.
Samelson always believed in him .
“I knew he would do something amazing with his life,” she said. “I didn’t know what direction he would go in.”
West called his time at Krueger “one of the awesome experiences in my life.”
However, he had to move to La Porte in the eighth grade. West met Jeff Topp that year. They formed a band together called Cloud Canis.
“He was my first true bandmate,” West said. “My absolute soul brother.”
West and Topp’s connection had a positive impact on their music.
“You have to have chemistry,”Topp said. “Some sort of a friendship has to exist underneath.”
Their relationship led to playing gigs in La Porte. West would borrow equipment from Roxy Music in La Porte right before gigs if the band needed it.
Justin “Bird” Andres grew up in Michigan City and graduated from Michigan City High School in 1996. He and West used to play music together in high school. They have been playing together ever since.
“He’s one of the most talented musicians I know, and has been an amazing wingman to have on this journey,” West said.
After West graduated high school, he went to college at Indiana University and started a band there as well.
West challenged himself in his music career after college, when he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream.
“I know maybe I was a fool, but I believed in myself and took those risks,” he said.
Andres was living in Los Angeles when West moved out there, and gave him his first place to stay.
While West pursued his dreams, he got to work in schools and do different types of jobs because of his college degree.
“Most of us (musicians) are not sitting up on a mansion on the top of a hill counting our millions,” West said. “You got to keep working.”
He had some struggles along the way, like being away from home and not watching his nieces and nephews grow up.
There have been many times he wanted to quit, but he kept on fighting
“It always seems like something stands out and you go, ‘Oh, OK, maybe I’m on the right path,’ and kind of keep fighting a good fight,” West said.
Photo by Matt Feinman and courtesy of Johnzo West
Johnzo West made a huge leap to Los Angeles to pursue his music dreams. He collaborated with Michigan City native Justin Andres in LA.
By meeting new and other like-minded people, he became connected with different artists.
This included Miley Cyrus. West got to record with her a cover of Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” which was part of Chimes of Freedom, a Dylan tribute album that benefited the charity Amnesty International.
“It was incredible,” West said about working with Cyrus. “It was really rewarding.”
He also said that the music they made was soulful and intimate.
“I think people got to hear how great of a singer (Cyrus) actually is, which I really enjoyed,” West said.
Others were impressed by West’s achievement.
“When the Miley stuff happened, that was mind blowing,” Topp said. “We couldn’t believe it was happening, and we were very proud of him.”
The song was released in 2012 and has racked up nearly 19 million views and 118,000 likes on YouTube.
“Everything we did was for raising money for good causes, which is just a great feeling, a good thing to do,” West said.
West has had a good solo career of his own, releasing the following albums: Bring on the Burden, in 2008, Glory, in 2013, and Waves in 2020.
He also has a new album, titled Mystic Mountain, coming out on Jan. 6.
Despite all the fame West has, what makes him the happiest is receiving texts from his family members. He put out a single this fall and his niece sent him a text in all caps: “THIS SONG IS SO GOOD.”
“When your 13-year-old niece is generally stoked on your music, you’re like, ‘OK, I must be doing something right here,’” West said.
He is still really close to people back home. They enjoy hanging out with each other when he comes to visit.
“The brightness, the humor, the ability to just turn your mood around with a few sentences, that’s Johnzo to me,” Topp said.
Photo by Jay Blakesberg and courtesy of Johnzo West
Johnzo West (right) plays at the 2017 Monterey International Pop Festival with Eric Burdon of Eric Burdon & The Animals.
West has continued to work with Andres. They have worked together on West’s albums and in the band The Animals.
“I feel so lucky to have been able to travel the world and play music with my best friend, and it makes it extra special when you share the same hometown roots,” West said.
Harris believes that West’s success is because he went his own way.
“He just kind of made his own path,” Harris said
West credits his success to being nice and not having an ego.
“If you have a massive ego and (are) not nice to people, (it) doesn’t matter how good you are at your crafts,” West said. “You’re not going to get anywhere.’
West encouraged others to follow their dreams, but to have a backup plan and prepare for things not to go exactly how they imagine them. He also said it’s important to have a support system because you need somebody to lean on when times get rough.
West wants people to appreciate where they’re from, and that includes Michigan City and La Porte County.
“It’s a great place to be from,” he said. “(It) doesn’t matter where you’re from these days; you can find success.”