Kirk Watson: “I stand to pay tribute to an outstanding and distinguished human being, Joe Kary Westmoreland, from my district who died…”

“I stand to pay tribute to an outstanding and distinguished human being, Joe Kary Westmoreland, from my district who died just recently. Joe began his musical career by singing and playing the piano at a very early age in New Morning Star Baptist Church. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, he moved to Los Angeles to continue his education. He attended Los Angeles City College and the University of California at Los Angeles where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1981. In 2000, Joe received a doctoral degree from the Pentecostal Bible College, West Coast Campus. Joe taught choral music at Duarte High School, Occidental College, and UCLA. For over a quarter of a century, he served the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, many of these years as Minister of Music. Since 1976, his gospel music compositions have been presented in over 100 concerts by major orchestras and two films, Music in Time and Zubin Rocks Gospel, and are in public libraries around the country.”