Shelly Lee Alley
Shelly Lee Alley | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 6, 1894 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, United States[1] |
| Died | June 1, 1964 (aged 69)[1] |
| Genres | Western swing String band |
| Occupation(s) | Singer Songwriter Musician Bandleader |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals Fiddle Guitar Banjo |
| Labels | Vocalion Records Bluebird Records Okeh Records |
| Website | www |
Shelly Lee Alley (July 6, 1894 – June 1, 1964) was an American singer, musician, songwriter and
Early life
Shelly Lee Alley was born in 1894 in Alleyton, Texas. His parents were Eliza Hoover Alley and John Ross Alley. John Ross operated a cotton gin.[2] He had a brother named Alvin.[1] Alley began reading music when he was a child.[2]
Career
During World War I, Alley was the bandleader for a military orchestra in
While working in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Alley met
The Alley Cats broke up during World War II. Alley performed with Patsy and the Buckaroos, a Beaumont, Texas based band. The band broke up in 1946.[2] That same year, he retired from performing live, citing health problems as the reason.[1][2] He continued to write music, writing "Broken Dreams" for Moon Mulligan and "Why Are You Blue?" for Biff Collie and Little Marge. In 1955, Alley released a single on Jet. He recorded also with Bennie Hess.[1]
Legacy
In 1994, Alley was inducted into the Western Swing Hall of Fame.[2]
