Robert Gene "Red" West (March 8, 1936 – July 18, 2017) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, film stuntman and

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

. He was known for being a close confidant and bodyguard for

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

singer

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. 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 Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

. West appeared to critical acclaim in the 2008 independent film ''

Goodbye Solo ''Goodbye Solo'' is a 2008 American independent film written and directed by Ramin Bahrani. It premiered as an official selection of the 2008 Venice Film Festival where it won the international film critic's FIPRESCI award for best film, and lat ...

'' as William.

Early life

West was born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, to Lois and Newton Thomas West. West was the cousin of actor 'Sonny' West. While attending high school in Tennessee, West and Sonny met

. An excellent athlete and

U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

, West played football for his high school and junior college at

Jones County Junior College Jones College is a public community college in Ellisville, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and serves its eight-county district consisting of Clarke, Covington, Gre ...

teams and was a boxer in the

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

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 "That's Someone You Never Forget" is a song co-written by Elvis Presley in 1961 and published by Elvis Presley Music, which appeared as the closing track on his 1962 album ''Pot Luck (Elvis Presley album), Pot Luck'' and was released as a single i ...

" and "

You'll Be Gone "You'll Be Gone" is a song co-written by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and released in 1965 on the ''Girl Happy'' soundtrack album and as a 45 single. The song was recorded in 1962 and was one of very few which Presley was inv ...

". "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 ''Girl Happy'' is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy and beach party film starring Elvis Presley in his eighteenth feature. The movie won a fourth place prize Laurel Award in the category Top Musical of 1965. It featured the song " Puppet ...

'' soundtrack LP. West co-wrote "If You Think I Don't Need You" with Joey Cooper for the motion picture ''

Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry be ...

''. He teamed up with Joey Cooper again on "I'm A Fool", which

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...

recorded, and which was later a hit for Dino, Desi and Billy (the partnership of Dean-Paul "Dino" Martin, Desi Arnaz Jr., 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" with Johnny Christopher for Presley's 1975 album ''

Promised Land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

''. 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 Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

Rick Nelson Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

Johnny Burnette John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny and his brother, Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison formed the band that became ...

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is an American musician. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. Rivers charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit sing ...

Dino, Desi & Billy Dino, Desi & Billy were an American singing trio that existed between 1964 and 1969. The group featured Dean "Dino" Martin ( Dean Paul Martin, the son of singer and actor Dean Martin), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Desiderio Arnaz IV, the son of television st ...

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (initially credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) was an American pop rock group active in the late 1960s. The group, formed by Gary Puckett, Gary "Mutha" Withem, Dwight Bement, Kerry Chater and Paul Whea ...

Andre Kostelanetz Andre Kostelanetz (russian: Абрам Наумович Костелянец; December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-born American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orch ...

and His Orchestra, and

Little Milton James Milton Campbell Jr. (September 7, 1934 – August 4, 2005), better known as Little Milton, was an American blues singer and guitarist, best known for his number-one R&B single " We're Gonna Make It". His other hits include " Baby, I Love ...

, among others.

Elvis' entourage and firing

In 1976, West was criticized in the

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

for his involvement in a series of heavy-handed incidents with aggressive fans in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the 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, 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, 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 A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, '' 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''. West also played the role of Sheriff Tanner of

Alcorn County, Mississippi Alcorn County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,057. Its county seat is Corinth. The county is named in honor of Governor James L. Alcorn. The Corin ...

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''. He guest starred twice on the CBS hit detective series ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' as different characters, as five different ones on ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...

'', the ''

Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series '' Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...

'' pilot episode "Knight of the Phoenix", on ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who mo ...

'', ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who oper ...

'' and in "

The Once and Future King ''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...

", an episode of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' which concerned Presley..]In 1989 West appeared in the action film '' Road House'' with

as Red Webster, the auto parts store owner. West played the lead role in the 2008 independent film ''

'' as William, an elderly depressed man who befriends a

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

ese man in

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. The film received positive reviews and critic Roger Ebert 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'' as Roger, an elderly store clerk in

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

Death

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

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

's 1979 film ''

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

'', West was portrayed by Robert Gray. West was also portrayed by his son John Boyd West in the 2005 Golden Globe winning

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

mini-series ''

'' and in the 21st episode of the fifth season of ''

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...

'', Memphis Melody.

Selected filmography

*''

Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...

'' (1959) - Bearded Man at Newspaper Stand / University Student (uncredited) *''

Ice Palace An ice palace or ice castle is a castle-like structure made of blocks of ice. These blocks are usually harvested from nearby rivers or lakes when they become frozen in winter. The first known ice palace (or, rather, '' ice house'', ледяной ...

'' (1960) - Train Passenger (uncredited) *''

Flaming Star ''Flaming Star'' is a 1960 American Western film starring Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden and Steve Forrest, based on the book ''Flaming Lance'' (1958) by Clair Huffaker. Critics agreed that Presley gave one of his best acting performances as t ...

'' (1960) - Indian (uncredited) *''

Wild in the Country ''Wild in the Country'' is a 1961 American musical–drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins. Based on the 1958 novel ''The Lost Country'' by J. R. Salamanca, the screenplay ...

'' (1961) - Hank Tyler (uncredited) *'' Blue Hawaii'' (1961) - Party Guest (uncredited) *''

Follow That Dream ''Follow That Dream'' is a 1962 American musical film made by Mirisch Productions and starring Elvis Presley. The film was based on the 1959 novel '' Pioneer, Go Home!'' by Richard P. Powell. Producer Walter Mirisch liked the film's song "Follo ...

'' (1962) - Bank Guard (uncredited) *''

Kid Galahad ''Kid Galahad'' is a 1962 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a boxer. It was released by United Artists in August 1962 and opened at #9 at the American box office. ''Variety'' ranked it #37 on its list of the top-grossing films of 19 ...

'' (1962) - Opponent (uncredited) *''

Girls! Girls! Girls! ''Girls! Girls! Girls!'' is a 1962 Golden Globe-nominated American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley as a penniless Hawaii-based fisherman who loves his life on the sea and dreams of owning his own boat. " Return to Sender", which reache ...

'' (1962) - Bongo-Playing Crewman on Tuna Boat (uncredited) *''

Two for the Seesaw ''Two for the Seesaw'' is a 1962 American romantic- drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine. It was adapted from the 1958 Broadway play written by William Gibson with Henry Fonda and Anne Bancroft ( ...

'' (1962) - Party Guest (uncredited) *''

It Happened at the World's Fair ''It Happened at the World's Fair'' is a 1963 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a crop-dusting pilot. It was filmed in Seattle, Washington, site of the Century 21 Exposition. The governor of Washington at the time, Albert Rosellin ...

'' (1963) - Fred (uncredited) *''

Palm Springs Weekend ''Palm Springs Weekend'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre ( AIP's '' Beach Party'' became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together ...

'' (1963) - Card Player (uncredited) *''

'' (1964) - Son of Lone Star State (uncredited) *''

Shock Treatment ''Shock Treatment'' is a 1981 American musical comedy film directed by Jim Sharman, and co-written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien. It is a follow-up to the 1975 film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''. While not an outright sequel, the film do ...

'' (1964) - Orderly (uncredited) *'' The Americanization of Emily'' (1964) - Soldier (uncredited) *''

Roustabout Roustabout (Australia/New Zealand English: rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show or circus workers who handled materials ...

'' (1964) - Carnival Worker (uncredited) *'' John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!'' (1965) - Football Player (uncredited) *''

'' (1965) - Extra in Kit Kat Club (uncredited) *''

Tickle Me ''Tickle Me'' is a 1965 American musical comedy western film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley as a champion rodeo bull rider and bronco buster. Presley won a 1966 Golden Laurel Award as best male actor in a musical film fo ...

'' (1965) - Mabel's Boyfriend (uncredited) *'' Harum Scarum'' (1965) - Assassin (uncredited) *''

Paradise, Hawaiian Style ''Paradise, Hawaiian Style'' is a 1966 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was the third and final motion picture that Presley filmed in Hawaii. The film reached #40 on the ''Variety'' weekly box office chart, earning $2.5 mill ...

'' (1966) - Rusty (uncredited) *''

The Navy vs. the Night Monsters ''The Navy vs. the Night Monsters'' (a.k.a. ''Monsters of the Night'' and ''The Night Crawlers'') is a 1966 independently made American science fiction-monster film drama produced by Jack Broder (and Roger Corman, uncredited), written and direc ...

'' (1966) - Navy Fireman (uncredited) *'' Spinout'' (1966) - Shorty's Pit Crew (uncredited) *''

Clambake The clambake or clam bake, also known as the New England clambake, is a traditional method of cooking seafood, such as lobster, mussels, crabs, scallops, soft-shell clams, and Hard clam, quahogs. The food is traditionally cooked by steaming the i ...

'' (1967) - Ice Cream Vendor (uncredited) *''

Live a Little, Love a Little ''Live a Little, Love a Little'' is a 1968 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was directed by Norman Taurog, who had directed several previous Presley films. This was to be Taurog's final film, as he went blind shortly after p ...

'' (1968) - Newspaper Vendor (uncredited) *'' Walking Tall'' (1973) - Sheriff Tanner *'' Framed'' (1975) - Mallory *'' Walking Tall Part II'' (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'' (1992) - Judge *''

Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American crime film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims of traumatic childho ...

'' (1994) - Cowboy Sheriff *''Felony'' (1994) - Chief Edwards *'' The Expert'' (1995) - Judge *''

Her Hidden Truth ''Her Hidden Truth'' is a thriller/drama television film starring Kellie Martin, Antonio Sabato Jr. and Ken Howard. It was directed by Dan Lerner and written by Pamela K. Long, who was also one of the film's producers. The film first aired on Sund ...

'' (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'' (1998) - Paulsen *''

Cookie's Fortune ''Cookie's Fortune'' is a 1999 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman and starring Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Patricia Neal, Charles S. Dutton, and Chris O'Donnell. It follows a dysfunctional family in small-town Mi ...

'' (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 ''Glory Road'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (July – September 1963) and published in hardcover the same year. It was nominated for ...

'' (2006) - Ross Moore *''

'' (2008) - William *'' Father of Invention'' (2010) - Sam Bergman *''The Black Dove'' (2012) - Detective Randall Hayward *'' At Any Price'' (2012) - Cliff Whipple *'' Safe Haven'' (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