Early life West was born in
Cleveland, Ohio, on May 23, 1958.
1981–1987 West's career coincided with her mother Dottie's reinvention of herself as a
country pop star. Shelly West is best known for her hit duets with
David Frizzell, especially their number-one hit "
You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma". West was also a successful solo artist, having her own number-one hit, "
José Cuervo" in 1983. 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, 1991, 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==