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 No. 1 hit "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma". She also was a successful solo artist, having her own No. 1 hit, "José Cuervo" in 1983.
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 West; 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, amidst 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.

In June 2005, CMT honored Shelly and her duet partner, David Frizzell, when they were voted No. 6 on their 100 Greatest Duets 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 & Country Theater in Branson, Missouri. The duo played another show on November 2, 2013, at the Americana Theater in Branson.