Biography
Shelly West, whose mother was the iconic Dottie West and whose father was steel guitarist Bill West, rose to prominence in the 1980s with country songs that leaned toward pop. At seventeen she joined her mother's touring revue, initially providing background vocals before stepping forward for lead parts. During those road years she met and wed Allen Frizzell, her mother's lead guitarist; the couple departed the show in 1977 and relocated to California. There they linked up with Allen's brother David Frizzell, whose steady local bookings soon expanded into a regional tour across the Southwest.
A demo of the duet "Lovin' on Borrowed Time" caught the ear of producer Snuff Garrett, who placed both Shelly and David on Casablanca West. After Polygram absorbed the imprint and released the pair, an attempt to break through in Nashville faltered. Garrett persisted, playing the original track plus its follow-up, "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma," for Clint Eastwood, who promptly added the latter to his film Any Which Way You Can on his new Viva label; the single reached the top of the country chart in early 1981.
Four more releases followed, among them the Top Ten "A Texas State of Mind," sustaining the duo's momentum until their 1985 separation, prompted chiefly by a scarcity of strong duet material and possibly influenced by the recent end of Shelly's marriage to Allen. Her first solo outing, 1983's "Jose Cuervo," topped the chart and lifted tequila sales; the subsequent "Flight 309 to Tennessee" climbed into the Top Five. From 1984 through 1986 she logged additional solo entries such as "Somebody Buy This Cowgirl a Beer" and "Don't Make Me Wait on the Moon," capped by the mid-chart "Love Don't Come Any Better Than This" before her presence on the airwaves receded. After remarrying she largely withdrew from recording yet rejoined David Frizzell for occasional stage appearances in the late 1980s.
A demo of the duet "Lovin' on Borrowed Time" caught the ear of producer Snuff Garrett, who placed both Shelly and David on Casablanca West. After Polygram absorbed the imprint and released the pair, an attempt to break through in Nashville faltered. Garrett persisted, playing the original track plus its follow-up, "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma," for Clint Eastwood, who promptly added the latter to his film Any Which Way You Can on his new Viva label; the single reached the top of the country chart in early 1981.
Four more releases followed, among them the Top Ten "A Texas State of Mind," sustaining the duo's momentum until their 1985 separation, prompted chiefly by a scarcity of strong duet material and possibly influenced by the recent end of Shelly's marriage to Allen. Her first solo outing, 1983's "Jose Cuervo," topped the chart and lifted tequila sales; the subsequent "Flight 309 to Tennessee" climbed into the Top Five. From 1984 through 1986 she logged additional solo entries such as "Somebody Buy This Cowgirl a Beer" and "Don't Make Me Wait on the Moon," capped by the mid-chart "Love Don't Come Any Better Than This" before her presence on the airwaves receded. After remarrying she largely withdrew from recording yet rejoined David Frizzell for occasional stage appearances in the late 1980s.
Albums
