Shelly West
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shelly West | ||
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 Shelly West publicity photo.
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Shelly West | |
| Born | May 23, 1958 | |
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio | |
| Genre(s) | Country, Countrypolitan | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals | |
| Years active | 1981–1992 | |
| Label(s) | Warner Bros. Records Viva Records |
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| Associated acts |
David Frizzell, Dottie West, Janie Fricke, K.T. Oslin | |
Shelly West (born May 23, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American Country Music Singer. Her mother was the legendary Country Music singer Dottie West, whose career spanned three decades.
Shelly West however, was a Country Music singer in her own right during the 1980s, best-known for having hit duets with David Frizzell, best-known for their #1 hit "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma". She also was a successful solo artist, having her own #1 hit called "Jose Cuervo" in 1983 also.
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[edit] Early Life & Rise to Fame
With Shelly West's mother, Dottie West being one of Country Music's most well-recognized female performers, Shelly West had a lot to live up to. However, during the 1980s, Shelly West was a Country singer on her own, proving she could have the success her mother had as an artist.
Shelly West was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1958 to Dottie and Bill West. She was named after her mother's favorite actress, Shelly Winters. During the time West was born, her mother was trying to make it big as a Country artist in Nashville, Tennessee. By the time Shelly was five years old, West finally made it big in Country Music, with a big hit the previous year called "Here Comes My Baby". She lived on her parent's estate, where Shelly was exposed to Country Music. It would not be a surpise that Shelly would later want to become a Country singer herself. West gained hr first professional exposure singing with her mother's band in 1975, where she performed as a background singer. While performing with her mother's band, she fell in love with the band's guitarist, Allan Frizzell, who was the younger brother of Country singer David Frizzell, and the younger brother of legendary Country artist Lefty Frizzell. The two married, and left the band, and in 1977, they moved to California.
Out in California, Shelly and Allan played with Allan's brother, David Frizzell's band. Together, they all toured the southwest. Upon their return, David was looking for a record label to sign on with. David sent a demo recording out, featuring hime signing on a duet with Shelly called "Lovin' On Borrowed Time". The demo was noticed by producer Snuff Garnett, who was impressed with the demo duet so much, not only did he just sign David, but he also signed Shelly to his record label Casbalanca West Records.
[edit] The Height of Her Career In the 1980s
Before their eyes, Shelly and David Frizzell were signed to a record company. However, not too long after signing on with them, Polygram Records took over their record label, and they dumped the duo. Shelly and David tried their luck in Nashville, Tennessee, but it brought no success. Their old producer for Casablanca West believed the duo still had the potential to make it big, so he decided to play their duet and its follow-up entitled "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" to legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood, who just founded his own record label called Viva Records. Eastwood ery much enjoyed their song "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma", and added the song to his latest film Any Which Way You Can. In 1981, the song was so big it hit #1 on the Country Music charts in 1981, making stars out of both of them.
Soon Shelly and David Frizzell were made big Country Music stars. Not only had Shelly West reached the height of her career, but her mother Dottie West alos reached the peak of her career around the same time, when three of singles released between 1980 and 1981 were #1 hits. In 1981, the Academy of Country Music awarded their hit with The Song of the Year, and also won both of them Duo of the Year. Up until 1985, the duo had great success as duet partners. In the early 80s, they were one of the biggest duet acts in Country Music, similar to the success Dottie West had dueting with Kenny Rogers in the late 70s. The duo's follow-up to their #1 hit was another great succcess called "A Texas State of Mind", which reached the Country Top 10 in 1981. In 1982, the duo had another pair of Top 10s called "Another Honky-Tonk Night on Broadway" and "I Just Came Here to Dance". Soon, Shelly divorced her husband Allan Frizzell. The duo's success together lasted up until 1985, when they split up.
However, Shelly West was not just part of a duet act. She also recorded on her own in the early 1980s. She made her debut as a solo artist in 1983 with the song "Jose Cuervo", which was about tequilla. The song went to #1 in 1983, and proved to the public that Shelly could also be a successful solo star. Her follow-up to her #1 hit called "Flight 309 to Tennessee" was a Top 5 hit in 1983. Between 1984 and 1986, Shelly continued to make it big as a solo and duet act. Her solo hits during this time, include "Somebody Buy This Cowgirl a Beer" and "Don't Make Me Wait On the Moon". Later in 1986, she had a more middle-of-the-range hit called "Love Don't Come Any Better Than This". Soon however, her success began to fade from view.
[edit] Later Career & Life Today
The song "Love Don't Come Any Better Than This", was West's last charted single. Soon, West's chart success began to fade away, strangely, around the same time her mother's success began to fade from profile. Soon, Shelly remarried Gary Hood, and the they had two sons together. In 1988, West re-united with David Frizzell for a series of duet concerts together. In 1990, Shelly toured with her mother, Dottie West on the road, and for a series of interviews. Together, they were popular on the road. Shelly was soon saddened by her mother's death in 1991 after a major car accident that September. To honor her mother, West was a technical adviser for the TV movie biography about her mother's life called Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story, starring Michele Lee. Since then however, West left the music business, staying home raising her family.
In 2005 however CMT television honored Shelly and her duet partner David Frizzell, when they were voted at #6 on their 100 Greatest Duets Special. They didn't perform any songs though. They appeared at their special in June 2005, and West was even interviewed for it on CMT.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Charted Singles
| Year | Single | U.S. Country Singles | Album | |
| 1981 | "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" (with David Frizzell) | #1 | Carryin' On the Family Names | |
| 1981 | "A Texas State of Mind" (with David Frizzell) | #9 | Carryin' On the Family Names | |
| 1982 | "Another Honky Tonk Night on Broadway" (with David Frizzell) | #8 | Album | |
| 1982 | "I Just Came Here to Dance" (with David Frizzell) | #4 | Album | |
| 1983 | "Jose Cuervo" | #1 | West By West | |
| 1983 | "Flight 309 to Tennessee" | #4 | West By West | |
| 1984 | "Another Motel Memory" | #10 | Red Hot | |
| 1984 | "Somebody Buy This Cowgirl a Beer" | #34 | Red Hot | |
| 1985 | "Now There's You" | #21 | Don't Make Me Wait On the Moon | |
| 1985 | "I'll Dance the Two Step" | #64 | Don't Make We Wait On the Moon | |
| 1985 | "Don't Make Me Wait On the Moon" | #46 | Don't Make Me Wait On the Moon | |
| 1986 | "What Would You Do" | #54 | single only | |
| 1986 | "Love Don't Come Any Better Than This" | #55 | single only |
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Country Albums | |
| 1981 | Carryin' On the Family Names (with David Frizzell) | #6 | |
| 1982 | Album (with David Frizzell) | - | |
| 1982 | Our Best to You (with David Frizzell) | #24 | |
| 1983 | West By West | #6 | |
| 1983 | In Session (with David Frizzell) | #33 | |
| 1983 | Red Hot | #26 | |
| 1984 | Golden Duets (with David Frizzell) | #45 | |
| 1984 | Don't Make Me Wait On the Moon | #28 | |
| 1994 | Alone and Together (with David Frizzell) | - |
[edit] See Also
- Dottie West (1932 - 1991) (West's mother)
- David Frizzell (West's duet partner)
