Outside of Baseball
West is known outside of umpiring as a singer–songwriter. His involvement in country music and his demeanor on the field have earned him the nickname "Cowboy Joe". West has appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. He has performed with Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee and Merle Haggard. West served as a pallbearer for Box Car Willie.
West has released two country music albums. Blue Cowboy is a 1987 album of three original songs and five covers. In 2008, West released Diamond Dreams, which tells baseball stories inspired by West's umpiring career. For Diamond Dreams, West worked with Kent Goodson, pianist for country star George Jones. In 2009, West said of his music pursuits, "I was lucky. You know, the dues you have to pay to get here as an umpire are long and tedious, but the music business, because I was already in the major leagues, kind of opened a lot of doors I normally wouldn't have been able to open."
West has made one film appearance, playing a third base umpire in the 1988 comedy film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! He also made a cameo appearance on the television crime drama The Oldest Rookie. An avid golfer, West appears on the Celebrity Players Tour.
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