Shelly West is an American country musicsinger. 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, and rose to prominence at the same time as her mother Dottie was reinventing herself as a country pop star, and 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". She also was a successful solo artist, having her own number-one hit, "José Cuervo" in 1983.
1987–1992: Retirement
West did reunite with Frizzell for a few shows in the late 1980s. West married Garry Hood in 1984 and had twin sons. 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, , produced by and starring actress Michele Lee. At that point, amid major changes in the countrymusic 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 their 100 GreatestDuets 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 CountryTheater in Branson, Missouri. The duo played another show on November 2, 2013, at the Americana Theater in Branson.
