Matthew Joseph West[1] (born April 25, 1977) is an American contemporary Christian musician and singer-songwriter.

In addition to his main solo career, West has worked as a songwriter for many Christian musicians and groups, such as Point of Grace, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, and Casting Crowns, as well as mainstream country acts Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Vince Gill.

[8] Just before West graduated from Millikin University in 1999, someone from the college recommended that he attend the GMA Music in the Rockies event for aspiring musicians.

Although West was not interested at first, he attended after learning that other people signed him up and paid his entrance fee.

[7][8] After penning songs for well-known musicians like Billy Ray Cyrus and Rachael Lampa, he began touring the United States as an independent artist in 2000 and 2001.

"[7] West was told that the chances were low of regaining the full use of his left arm, a major artery having come very close to being severed.

[10] After signing with Universal South Records on August 23, 2002,[8] West released his first non-independent studio album, Happy, on December 26, 2003.

[17] Beginning in late September 2004, West joined Avalon and Mark Schultz on a 40-city fall tour, which concluded at the end of November.

[19] He won the "Recorded Music Packaging of the Year" Dove Award for his debut album Happy.

[20] In early 2005, he was on the WinterJam 2005 tour, hosted by NewSong, with tobyMac, Building 429, Tait, and Rachael Lampa.

[21] With Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser once again as producers,[22] Matthew West began recording for his second studio album in early 2005.

"[31] At a vocal check-up in response to the issue, West's doctors at the Nashville Vanderbilt Voice Center discovered "hemorrhaging caused by some polyps".

[31] A video documentary titled Nothing to Say, directed and produced by Benjamin Eisner, was released in early 2008, highlighting Matthew West's time of silence and vocal recovery in 2007.

[33] In February 2008, the documentary was available exclusively in Family Christian Stores as a CD/DVD combo pack with West's album Something to Say.

[38] West said in an interview that all of the album's songs had already been written and the title "Something to Say" had already been decided "months before I found out that I was going to have nothing to say.

[41] Matthew West guested on tobyMac's 26-city "Boomin' Beyond Measure" tour along with Jeremy Camp.

[43] He was featured on the Billy Graham television special America's Dream: Chasing Happiness, which aired in the U.S. on March 1–9, 2008.

[44] On June 29, West hosted GMA's 2008 Gospel Dream, a televised Christian music talent competition.

[46] In 2009 he had a song on an album by country artist Jo Dee Messina, with another under consideration by American Idol finalist Danny Gokey.

[49] In 2011, he released a Christmas song featuring Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill entitled "Leaving Heaven".

In addition to his solo career, Matthew West has also written songs for other Christian bands and musicians, including Mark Schultz, Mandisa, Jump5, Sara Groves, Joy Williams, Casting Crowns, Salvador, Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, PureNRG, and Point of Grace, as well as mainstream country act Billy Ray Cyrus.

Rascal Flatts recorded West's song "The Day Before You" on their album Feels Like Today.

[56] West also pursues acting, with occasional appearances in Christian television shows, starting in 2009.