ArtistInfo

Red West

voc, *1936 US, Memphis, Tennessee
Singer / Songwriter of Rock
A.k.a. Robert "Red" Gene West

Red West (born March 8, 1936, Bolivar, Tennessee, USA – died July 18, 2017, Memphis, Tennessee, USA) was an American actor, songwriter, and singer. He was a high school friend of Elvis Presley and became the singer's driver, bodyguard and confidante, until he was expelled from Elvis' inner circle (the so-called "Memphis Mafia") in the mid-1970s after becoming too vocal about Presley's drug habits and unhealthy associations. West was a movie stuntman and appeared in 16 of Elvis' films in the 1960s, usually playing extras or bit and supporting parts. He also wrote songs that were recorded by Elvis, and other artists such as Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson (2) and Johnny Rivers, including the classic tune "Separate Ways" for Elvis, which won a BMI Award. After some 30 years in California, Red and his wife Pat West relocated to Bartlett, Tennessee where they operated an actors' studio and talent agency.