Robert Gene ‘Red’ West

Actor and songwriter who was good friend of Elvis Presley passes away at 81

Actor and songwriter Robert Gene “Red” West, a longtime confidant of Elvis Presley, has died in Memphis.

Danita Allen of Memorial Park Funeral Home said West died on Tuesday. He was 81. songs Presley sang including Separate Ways and If You Talk In Your Sleep. After West was fired by Presley’s father in 1976, he went on to help write a book called Elvis: What Happened? The book, published shortly before Presley’s death, included details about the singer’s drug dependency and unhealthy lifestyle. West and his co-authors, Sonny West and David Hebler, said the book was an attempt to encourage Elvis to give up his dangerous ways. However, some fans said it was written out of spite because they were fired.

West later became a fulltime actor and appeared on TV shows and films. His most famous role was in 1989’s Road House with Patrick Swayze.