Shelly West | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 23, 1958 |
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Country pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1981–1992 2012–present |
| Labels | |
Shelly West (born May 23, 1958)[1] is an American country music singer. Her mother was the country music star Dottie West, whose career spanned three decades. The younger West reached her peak in popularity during the 1980s before mostly retiring in the wake of her mother's death.
Biography
1981–1987
West was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States,[1] where her mother, country star/songwriter Dottie West began appearing on the television program Landmark Jamboree as one half of a country-pop vocal duo called the Kay-Dots alongside partner Kathy Dee as Dottie was reinventing herself as a country pop star, and as she grew up in the country music genre, Shelly's style was not significantly different from that of her mother's. West is best known for her hit duets with David Frizzell, especially their number-one hit "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma".[1] She also was a successful solo artist, having her own number-one hit, "José Cuervo" in 1983.[1]
1987–1992: Retirement
West did reunite with Frizzell for a few shows in the late 1980s.[2] West married Garry Hood in 1984 and had twin sons.[2] In 1990, Shelly toured with her mother, Dottie; together, they were popular on the road. On August 30, 1991, Dottie was involved in a major car accident, eventually dying five days later, on September 4, from injuries sustained in the accident. West was a technical adviser for a television biopic about her mother's life, Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story, produced by and starring actress Michele Lee. At that point, amid major changes in the country music industry that impacted the careers of many established country stars, the younger West retired to focus on her family.
Post-retirement
In June 2005, CMT honored Shelly and her duet partner, David Frizzell, when they were voted number six on its 100 Greatest Duets Special. Although they did not perform any songs, Shelly West and David Frizzell appeared on the special, for which West was interviewed. West appeared on numerous episodes of Country Family Reunion on RFD-TV.
West has returned to performing occasionally since 2012. She reunited with David Frizzell for two shows on October 13, 2012, at the God and Country Theater in Branson, Missouri. The duo played another show on November 2, 2013, at the Americana Theater in Branson.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| Carryin' On the Family Names (with David Frizzell) |
|
6 |
| The David Frizzell & Shelly West Album (with David Frizzell) |
|
8 |
| Our Best to You (with David Frizzell) |
|
24 |
| West by West |
|
6 |
| Red Hot |
|
26 |
| In Session (with David Frizzell) |
|
33 |
| Don't Make Me Wait on the Moon |
|
28 |
Compilations
| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| Golden Duets (The Best of Frizzell & West) (with David Frizzell) |
|
45 |
| Greatest Hits: Alone & Together (with David Frizzell) |
|
— |
| The Very Best of David Frizzell & Shelly West (with David Frizzell) |
|
— |
| The Very Best of Shelly West |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1983 | "José Cuervo" | 1 | 1 | West by West |
| "Flight 309 to Tennessee" | 4 | 8 | ||
| "Another Motel Memory" | 10 | 20 | Red Hot | |
| 1984 | "Now I Lay Me Down to Cheat" | 56 | — | |
| "Somebody Buy This Cowgirl a Beer" | 34 | — | ||
| "Now There's You" | 21 | 22 | Don't Make Me Wait on the Moon | |
| 1985 | "Don't Make Me Wait on the Moon" | 46 | — | |
| "I'll Dance the Two Step" | 64 | — | ||
| "If I Could Sing Something in Spanish" | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "What Would You Do" | 54 | — | — |
| "Love Don't Come Any Better Than This" | 55 | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Singles with David Frizzell
| Year | Title | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1981 | "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" | 1 | 13 | Carryin' on the Family Names |
| "A Texas State of Mind" | 9 | — | ||
| "Husbands and Wives" | 16 | 38 | ||
| 1982 | "Another Honky-Tonk Night on Broadway" | 8 | 20 | The David Frizzell & Shelly West Album |
| "I Just Came Here to Dance" | 4 | 9 | ||
| "Please Surrender" | 43 | — | Our Best to You | |
| 1983 | "Cajun Invitation" | 52 | — | |
| "Pleasure Island" | 71 | — | In Session | |
| 1984 | "Silent Partners" | 20 | 20 | |
| "It's a Be Together Night" | 13 | 40 | Golden Duets (The Best of Frizzell & West) | |
| 1985 | "Do Me Right" | 60 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Awards
| Year | Award | Award Program |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Vocal Duo of the Year; (w/ David Frizzell) |
| 1981 | Song of the Year; "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" | |
| 1982 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Vocal Duo of the Year; (w/ David Frizzell) |
| Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Duo of the Year; (w/ David Frizzell) | |
| Music City News Country | Vocal Duet of the Year; (w/ David Frizzell) | |
| 1983 | Most Promising Female Artist of the Year | |
| Vocal Duet of the Year; (w/ David Frizzell) |
See also
- Dottie West (1932–1991; West's mother)
- David Frizzell (West's duet partner)
References
- 1 2 3 4 Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 440/1. ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
- 1 2 "Shelly West | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 August 2021.