"Red," as he would become known, was born on March 8th, 1936 in Bolivar, Tennessee. While attending Humes High School, Red met and became a friend of a guy named Elvis Presley. It so happened that several guys, who resented Elvis long mane, decided to give him an unneeded haircut. Red happened in on the action and questioned their reasons for this unappreciated haircut and didn't agree with the answers he got. Red suggested they leave the kid alone, or cut his hair first. Apparently Red had the reputation of being a man you don't want to get angry so, needless to say, Elvis walked away without the haircut.

Elvis was already gaining local celebrity status while still in high school and one day asked Red to join him on a trip to promote one of his records. Red accepted and the two became fast friends. After graduating in 1955, they were soon on the high road of fast living. Red, who is also an accomplished song writer wrote thirteen songs for Elvis, but because of Elvis name power, gave Elvis credit for the songs.

Fortunately, Red was able to handle the wild living and stayed on the straight and narrow. Meanwhile, Elvis began taking drugs; probably starting with the no-doze kind and eventually worked his way to becoming an unlicensed pharmacist. Red decided he would cure Elvis by killing the source of the supplies. This led to a falling out with Elvis and Red was fired.

Elvis died ten years to the day that Red went to work for him.
Red met Robert Conrad while filming a movie with Elvis in Hawaii. When Red found himself unemployed, he asked and got an invite to work on Bobs series, The Wild Wild West. Red joined the show during the third season, while filming TNOT Bubbling Death. He would fill in the dry spells writing music.

During the next several shows, Red found himself donning a very uncomfortable beard while his cohort, Dick Cangey was wearing a small goatee or mustache. Red finally got around to asking the makeup man, Don Schoenfeld why he always got stuck with wearing the itchy beard while Cangey got off with just a simple mustache. Don unknowingly blew the whistle. He told Red he was only following Cangey's instructions, thinking Cangey was getting his orders from Bob. Cangey spent the next few days hiding from Red while Bob and the other guys enjoyed a good laugh.

When The Wild Wild West was canceled, Red continued writing music, then one day he was invited to join Bob on a movie he was going to shoot and from there he joined Bob on a few other ventures, including his successful acting job on Black Sheep Squadron.

Red has worked on several dozen television series and movies and despite his ability as a good stuntman, his acting is far superior. He recently finished a two week acting job filmed in North Carolina and has returned to his home in Bartlett, Tennessee where he lives with his lovely wife Pat. He is currently helping his former cohort Dick Cangey, put together a low budget movie which will cast most of the other stuntmen who worked on The Wild Wild West.

The following are excerpts taken from the New York Times:

Robert Conrad, star of The Wild Wild West, said of Red West, who was fired by Elvis Presley in July 1976: "The best thing that ever happened to Red's career is that Presley fired him... I think it's unfortunate Red didn't pursue his (acting) career sooner." West's present career is a far cry from his gun-toting days with the king of rock. "I'll never carry a gun again... there's no need for it," said West, who describes himself as "a rowdy old ex-football player."

As Presley's bodyguard, he relied on his fists to subdue dozens of would be assailants. But, "I've hung up my gloves. I've been in a few scrapes, and I've learned that win or lose... you lose," West said. "Then, when you show him, he wants to sue you. That's why I say you lose either way."

Red West's television and film credits include Natural Born Killers, Raw Nerve, Felony, Walking Tall I & II, Americanization of Emily, Blue Hawaii, Blacksheep Squadron, A-Team, Fall Guy, Twilight Zone, Quincy, The Six Million Dollar Man, FBI, etc.