Vest was born in 1943, and grew up in
Birmingham, Alabama, United States. He learned to a play on a used piano his grandmother had delivered to their house in West End, a few blocks away from Ensley's
Tuxedo Junction. He played his first paying gig at the age of 14. He has worked professionally as a pianist from the age of 15, since 1957. In the 1960s Vest played seven nights a week at Pappy's Club with Jerry Woodard and
The Esquires. On New Year's Day 1962 he opened for
Roy Orbison. He currently lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, with his wife. ==Awards and achievements==