Robert Gene "Red" West (March 8, 1936 – July 18, 2017) was an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter. He was known for being a close confidant and bodyguard for rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. Upon his firing, West wrote the controversial '' Elvis: What Happened?'', in which he exposed the singer's dangerous drug dependence in an attempt to save him. West was probably best known to American film audiences for his role as Red in '' Road House'', alongside Patrick Swayze. West appeared to critical acclaim in the 2008 independent film '' Goodbye Solo'' as William.

Early life

West was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lois and Newton Thomas West. West was the cousin of actor 'Sonny' West. While attending high school in Tennessee, West and Sonny met Elvis Presley. An excellent athlete and U.S. Marine, West played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

for his high school and

junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

at Jones County Junior College teams and was a

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

in the Golden Gloves championships. In 1961, West married his wife Pat Boyd. Together, they had two children.

West and Presley

Songwriting career

West collaborated with Elvis Presley two songs in 1961 and 1962, which Elvis got a token credit on, " That's Someone You Never Forget" and " You'll Be Gone". "That's Someone You Never Forget" is the final track on the 1962 album '' Pot Luck''. The song was released as a 45-rpm B-side single in 1967 and features on the Artist of the Century compilation. "You'll Be Gone" is a bonus track on the '' Girl Happy'' soundtrack LP. West co-wrote "If You Think I Don't Need You" with Joey Cooper for the motion picture '' Viva Las Vegas''. He teamed up with Joey Cooper again on "I'm A Fool", which Ricky Nelson recorded, and which was later a hit for Dino, Desi and Billy (the partnership of Dean-Paul "Dino" Martin,

Desi Arnaz Jr. Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (born January 19, 1953), known professionally as Desi Arnaz Jr., is an American actor and musician. He is the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Early life Arnaz was born on January 19, 1953, at Cedars-Sinai Medical ...

, and William "Billy" Hinsche). West co wrote the song " Separate Ways" with Richard Mainegra for Elvis in 1972, and "

If You Talk in Your Sleep "If You Talk in Your Sleep" is a 1974 Elvis Presley song released as a single and featured on Elvis Presley's 1975 album ''Promised Land''. The song was written by Red West and Johnny Christopher, who had earlier written "Mama Liked the Roses" and ...

" with Johnny Christopher for Presley's 1975 album '' Promised Land''. Red wrote "

If Every Day Was Like Christmas "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" is a song written in 1965 by Red West and popularized by his friend and employer Elvis Presley in 1966 when he recorded and released it as a single. Presley released it again in 1970 on his Camden '' Elvis' Christm ...

", recorded by Presley in 1966. In addition to writing for Elvis, Red had songs recorded by Pat Boone, Rick Nelson, Johnny Burnette, Johnny Rivers, Dino, Desi & Billy, Petula Clark, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra, and Little Milton, among others.

Elvis' entourage and firing

In 1976, West was criticized in the media for his involvement in a series of heavy-handed incidents with aggressive fans in Las Vegas. He was also becoming vocal about Presley needing help for his drug problem. Elvis's father, Vernon Presley, who hated the members of his son's entourage, fired West, his cousin

Sonny Sonny is a common nickname and occasional given name. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun", a nickname derived from the Italian name Salvatore (especially in N ...

, and bodyguard David Hebler. The three subsequently wrote the book '' Elvis: What Happened?'', claiming to be an attempt to warn and obtain help for Elvis. Some suspected it was a retaliatory money-making exercise, but with Elvis' death within weeks of publication the book's claims proved accurate. Presley had offered the publisher $1,000,000 to stop printing the book.

Acting career

When Presley was making films in the 1960s in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, Red West appeared in small roles in sixteen of the star's films. During this time, West became good friends with actor Nick Adams and his physical abilities got him hired on as a stuntman on Adams' television series, '' The Rebel''. From there, West went on to do more stunt work in film as well as developing a career as an actor in a number of motion pictures and on television. He was often on screen as a henchman in the television series ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

''. West also played the role of Sheriff Tanner of Alcorn County, Mississippi in the 1973 film ''Walking Tall''. He also reprised the role in the 1975 film ''Walking Tall Part 2''. West also played the ornery, sometimes violent Master Sergeant Andy Micklin on ''

Baa Baa Black Sheep "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" is an English nursery rhyme, the earliest printed version of which dates from around 1744. The words have not changed very much in two and a half centuries. It is sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody '' Ah! vous di ...

''. He guest starred twice on the CBS hit detective series '' Magnum, P.I.'' as different characters, as five different ones on '' The A-Team'', the '' Knight Rider'' pilot episode "Knight of the Phoenix", on '' The Fall Guy'', '' Simon & Simon'' and in " The Once and Future King", an episode of '' The Twilight Zone'' which concerned Presley..]In 1989 West appeared in the action film '' Road House'' with Patrick Swayze as Red Webster, the auto parts store owner. West played the lead role in the 2008 independent film '' Goodbye Solo'' as William, an elderly depressed man who befriends a Senegalese man in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The film received positive reviews and critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

remarked that "West isn't playing himself, but he evokes his character so fully that he might as well be. West's face is a map of hard living". His last film role was in the 2013 film ''

Safe Haven Safe haven may refer to: * Sanctuary Arts and entertainment * ''Safe Haven'' (novel), a 2010 American novel by Nicholas Sparks ** ''Safe Haven'' (film), a 2013 American film adapted from the novel * ''Safe Haven'' (short film), a 2009 American ...

'' as Roger, an elderly store clerk in Southport, North Carolina.

Death

West died on July 18, 2017, aged 81, from an

aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. They usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured. Occasionally, there may be abdominal, back, or leg pain. The prevalence of abdominal aortic ...

, at the Baptist Hospital in his native Memphis. His death occurred less than two months after the death of his cousin, actor Sonny West, in May 2017. His funeral and burial at Memorial Park Cemetery was held on July 24 in Memphis.

In popular culture

In John Carpenter's 1979 film '' Elvis'', West was portrayed by Robert Gray. West was also portrayed by his son John Boyd West in the 2005

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

winning CBS mini-series '' Elvis'' and in the 21st episode of the fifth season of '' Quantum Leap'', Memphis Melody.

Selected filmography

*'' Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (1959) - Bearded Man at Newspaper Stand / University Student (uncredited) *'' Ice Palace'' (1960) - Train Passenger (uncredited) *'' Flaming Star'' (1960) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Wild in the Country'' (1961) - Hank Tyler (uncredited) *''

Blue Hawaii ''Blue Hawaii'' is a 1961 American musical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written Americ ...

'' (1961) - Party Guest (uncredited) *'' Follow That Dream'' (1962) - Bank Guard (uncredited) *'' Kid Galahad'' (1962) - Opponent (uncredited) *'' Girls! Girls! Girls!'' (1962) - Bongo-Playing Crewman on Tuna Boat (uncredited) *'' Two for the Seesaw'' (1962) - Party Guest (uncredited) *'' It Happened at the World's Fair'' (1963) - Fred (uncredited) *'' Palm Springs Weekend'' (1963) - Card Player (uncredited) *'' Viva Las Vegas'' (1964) - Son of Lone Star State (uncredited) *'' Shock Treatment'' (1964) - Orderly (uncredited) *''

The Americanization of Emily ''The Americanization of Emily'' is a 1964 British-American black-and-white romantic black comedy war film written by Paddy Chayefsky, produced by Martin Ransohoff, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Dougl ...

'' (1964) - Soldier (uncredited) *'' Roustabout'' (1964) - Carnival Worker (uncredited) *''

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! ''John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!'' is a 1965 American comedy film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty published in 1963. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The film was shot in the Mojave Desert. In the film, an American militar ...

'' (1965) - Football Player (uncredited) *'' Girl Happy'' (1965) - Extra in Kit Kat Club (uncredited) *'' Tickle Me'' (1965) - Mabel's Boyfriend (uncredited) *'' Harum Scarum'' (1965) - Assassin (uncredited) *'' Paradise, Hawaiian Style'' (1966) - Rusty (uncredited) *'' The Navy vs. the Night Monsters'' (1966) - Navy Fireman (uncredited) *''

Spinout Spinout or Spin Out may refer to: *Corporate spin-off, also known as a spin-out, a type of corporate action where a company turns a portion of itself into a separate business *Spinout (driving), failure when braking Entertainment * ''Spinout (fil ...

'' (1966) - Shorty's Pit Crew (uncredited) *'' Clambake'' (1967) - Ice Cream Vendor (uncredited) *'' Live a Little, Love a Little'' (1968) - Newspaper Vendor (uncredited) *'' Walking Tall'' (1973) - Sheriff Tanner *'' Framed'' (1975) - Mallory *''

Walking Tall Part II ''Walking Tall Part 2'' is the 1975 sequel to the crime/action film, '' Walking Tall''. ''Walking Tall Part 2'' was directed by Earl Bellamy, and produced by Charles A. Pratt. The film stars Bo Svenson as Buford Pusser, replacing Joe Don Baker, w ...

'' (1975) - Sheriff Tanner *'' Angel City'' (1980) Sud *'' Road House'' (1989) - Red Webster *''Trapper County War'' (1989) - George *''The Legend of Grizzly Adams'' (1990) - Bodine *'' Raw Nerve'' (1991) - Dave *''Prey of the Chameleon'' (1992) - Pritchard *''

The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag ''The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag'' is a 1992 American screwball comedy film directed by Allan Moyle and produced by Scott Kroopf. It stars Penelope Ann Miller, Eric Thal, William Forsythe, Cathy Moriarty and Alfre Woodard. Rock and roll recordi ...

'' (1992) - Judge *'' Natural Born Killers'' (1994) - Cowboy Sheriff *''Felony'' (1994) - Chief Edwards *'' The Expert'' (1995) - Judge *'' Her Hidden Truth'' (1995, TV Movie) - Fireman Leon Sykes *''The P.A.C.K.'' (1997) - Sheriff Charlie Stone *'' The Rainmaker'' (1997) - Buddy Black *''

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1998 slasher film directed by Danny Cannon and written by Trey Callaway. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Muse Watson reprise their roles, with Brandy, Mekhi Phifer and Matthew Settle jo ...

'' (1998) - Paulsen *'' Cookie's Fortune'' (1999) - Mr. Henderson *''Above Suspicion'' (2000) - Officer Ward *''Woman's Story'' (2000) - Judge Ewing *''Vampires Anonymous'' (2003) - Tom Miller *'' Forty Shades of Blue'' (2005) - Duigan *'' Glory Road'' (2006) - Ross Moore *'' Goodbye Solo'' (2008) - William *''

Father of Invention ''Father of Invention'' is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Trent Cooper, and stars Kevin Spacey, Camilla Belle and Johnny Knoxville. Synopsis Robert Axle, a New Orleans-based infomercial guru, loses it all when one of his invent ...

'' (2010) - Sam Bergman *''The Black Dove'' (2012) - Detective Randall Hayward *''

At Any Price ''At Any Price'' is a 2012 American drama film directed by Ramin Bahrani and written by Ramin Bahrani and Hallie Newton. The film, starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron, was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International ...

'' (2012) - Cliff Whipple *''

'' (2013) - Roger

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:West, Red 1936 births 2017 deaths American male film actors American stunt performers American male television actors Songwriters from Tennessee Male actors from Memphis, Tennessee Humes High School alumni Elvis Presley Deaths from aortic aneurysm