Red West

About Red West

Who is it?: Actor, Stunts, Soundtrack
Birth Day: March 08, 1936
Birth Place:  Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Died On: July 18, 2017(2017-07-18) (aged 81)\nMemphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Birth Sign: Aries
Alma mater: Jones County Junior College
Occupation: Actor, stunt performer, songwriter, author
Years active: 1959–2015
Spouse(s): Pat Boyd (m. 1961)
Children: 2
Relatives: Sonny West (Cousin)

Red West Net Worth

Red West was born on March 08, 1936 in  Memphis, Tennessee, United States, is Actor, Stunts, Soundtrack. Robert "Red" Gene West was a close friend of Elvis Presley and a member of Presley's inner circle, known as "The Memphis Mafia". He first met Elvis in high school, where he was a year behind him. West played football for the Memphis Tigers high school football team, boxed in the Golden Gloves and played football for the Jones County Junior College Bobcats playing center.West lived with his mother, Lois West, in the Hurt Housing project in Memphis. West became Elvis's personal driver in driving Elvis and band members Scotty Moore, Bill Black and later D.J. Fontana to different cities in the South for live appearances from 1955 to 1956. West served in the US Marine Corps from 1956 to late 1958 and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, which allowed him to stay in contact with Elvis. On August 14, 1958, West's estranged father, Newton Thomas West, died, the same day as Elvis' mother, Gladys Presley. After Elvis' discharge from the US Army in 1960, West was employed as one of Elvis' bodyguards. Over the years Elvis bought West a number of vehicles as he became a world-famous celebrity.West also became a movie stuntman and appeared in 16 of Elvis' films in the 1960s, usually playing extras or bit and supporting parts. West married one of Elvis' secretaries, Pat West, on July 1, 1961. A man of many talents, West became a songwriter for songs that Elvis, Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson and Johnny Rivers recorded, including the classic tune "Separate Ways" for Elvis, which won a BMI Award. In addition to the Elvis movies, West appeared in three Robert Conrad TV series The Wild Wild West (1965), Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976) and The Duke (1979). During the 1970s West, his cousin Del 'Sonny' West and 'Dave Hebler' served as Elvis' bodyguards, in charge of his daily transportation and, especially, in keeping weirdo, or potentially dangerous, fans away from him.On July 13, 1976, Vernon Presley, Elvis' father, fired West, Sonny West and Hebler after criticizing what he believed to be their heavy-handed tactics. The three of them collaborated on a book about their lives as Elvis' bodyguards, which was published just two weeks before Elvis' death in 1977. West has since continued his acting and songwriting careers.
Red West is a member of Actor

💰Red West Net worth: $7 Million

Some Red West images

Biography/Timeline

1960

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, 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.

1961

West contributed to several songs written by Elvis Presley in 1961 and 1962. He received help from Elvis Presley in writing two songs in the early 1960s, which were collaborations: "You'll Be Gone" and "That's Someone You Never Forget".

1962

"That's Someone You Never Forget" was the final track on the 1962 album Pot Luck. The song was released as a 45-rpm B-side single in 1967 and was featured on the Artist of the Century compilation. "You'll Be Gone" was featured on the "Girl Happy (album)" as a bonus track. West also 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. "I'm A Fool" later became a hit for Dino, Desi and Billy, the partnership of Dean-Paul "Dino" Martin, Desi Arnaz Jr., and william "Billy" Hinsche.

1972

West also co wrote the song "Separate Ways" with Richard Mainegra for Elvis in 1972 and "If You Talk in Your Sleep" a track from Presley's 1975 album Promised Land. The latter song was written by Red West and Johnny Christopher. Red also wrote "If Every Day Was Like Christmas", recorded by Elvis Presley in 1966.

1976

In 1976, West was involved in a series of heavy-handed incidents in Las Vegas with aggressive fans that got out of hand, drawing criticism from the media. More than that, West was becoming more vocal about Presley's drug Problem and how he needed help. As a result, West, his cousin Sonny West, and a third bodyguard named David Hebler were fired by Elvis's father, Vernon Presley, who hated most, if not all, of the members of his son's entourage.

1989

West played Master Sergeant Andy Micklin on Baa Baa Black Sheep. 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. In 1989 West appeared in the action film Road House with Patrick Swayze as Red Webster, the auto parts store owner.

2008

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 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".

2013

His last film role was in the 2013 film Safe Haven as Roger, an elderly store clerk in Southport, North Carolina.

2017

West died on July 18, 2017, after developing an aortic aneurysm, at the Baptist Hospital in Memphis. He was 81. 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.