Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, it’s time for Classic Americana on Radio Heartland. We pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

This week, we celebrate country-music singer Shelly West, born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 23, 1958. Shelly West’s mother was country singer Dottie West, who had a number of hits including her Grammy-winning 1965 song “Here Comes My Baby” and her 1978 duet with Kenny Rogers, “Every Time Two Fools Collide.”

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Shelly West began performing country songs and collaborating with other artists. Shelly West’s duet with David Frizzell, “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” was featured in the Clint Eastwood film Any Which Way You Can, and the song went to No. 1 in the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Singles Chart in 1981.

Two years later, in 1983, Shelly West enjoyed a number-one hit all her own with the song, “Jose Cuervo,” a song about drinking too much. Not only did the song reach No. 1, it boosted sales for the brand-name tequila mentioned in the song. We feature that song this week. 

Shelly West spent the rest of the ‘80s and the early part of the 1990s touring with her mother, Dottie West. In 1991, Dottie West died in a car crash, and the tragedy also put an end to Shelly West’s performance career. After overseeing the production of a 1995 television biopic on her mother’s life, Shelly West largely retired from music to spend time with her family. She has on occasion reunited with duet partner David Frizzell for special performances.

Classic Americana Playlist

External Links

Shelly West – official Facebook page