He started out as an independent musician in the late 1990s and released three independent albums before signing a recording agreement with Universal South Records. His first album "Happy" (2003) won a Dove Award, and the album's radio single "More" was popular on Christian radios; it stayed at the number-one position on radio charts for nine weeks in a row. His second album "History" (2005) was followed by a 2006 re-release of his independent album titled "Sellout". In 2007, he had vocal problems which threatened his career, and was told by doctors to rest his voice by not speaking for two months. West's third album "Something to Say" was released in January 2008 and also was successful with the number one songs "You Are Everything" and "The Motions".