Shelly West

Shelly West was born in Cleveland, Ohio where her mother, 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”. She also was a successful solo artist, having her own number-one hit, “José Cuervo” in 1983. West was married to Allen Frizzell between 1981 and 1985.

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.