Shamsi Badalbeyli was born in Shusha.

He studied at the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Technical School (1927), the Department of Folk Instruments of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory and the Theory of Composition class (1927-1932).

During his student years, he played the tar in the orchestra led by his older brother, composer and conductor Afrasiyab Badalbeyli at the Azerbaijan State Drama Theater. He worked as the head of the Art and Literature Department in the editorial office of the “Young Worker” newspaper, and his articles about performances were published (1930-1932). In 1932, he started working as an assistant director at the Azerbaijan State Drama Theater. In 1933, he was sent to Moscow by the People's Commissariat of Education of Azerbaijan for directing practice. In Moscow, he practiced as an assistant director under the direction of Kote Marjanashvili in the play “Don Carlos” (Schiller) at the Maly Theater. He also enriched his experience in the creative workshop of director A. Popov at the Revolutionary Theater and participated in the preparation of the play "My Friend" (N. Pogodin). After returning to Baku, he continued his work as a director at the Azerbaijan State Drama Theater (1936-1942). During the Second World War, he was sent to Iran as a military correspondent, where he worked as a literary worker in the newspaper "Vatan Udzhan", writing articles on culture and staging the plays "Arshin Mal Alan" (Uzeyir Hajibeyli), "Elli Yashniye Javan" (Zulfugar Hajibeyli), and "Evli Iken Subay" with amateur actors. In 1943, the Musical Comedy Theater was established in Baku, and Shamsi Badalbeyli was recalled and appointed director of that theater. He was the artistic director and director here (1943-1949, 1956-1959, 1965-1974), the artistic director and director of the Philharmonic (1949-1956, 1974-1976), the director and chief director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (1959-1965). He was the chairman of the Theater Society (1976-1986). He directed the works "The Dead" at the Drama Theater, "Koroglu", "Asli and Karam" at the Opera and Ballet Theater, "The Barber of Seville" at the Musical Comedy Theater, "Eye Clear", "Durna", "Arshin Mal Alan", "Hijran". In 1957, the opera "Koroglu" was staged at the Turkmenistan Opera and Ballet Theater.

Honored Art Worker (1943), People's Artist (1964) Shamsi Badalbeyli died in 1986 and was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.

Theater director, actor Shamsi Badalbeyli was the husband of actress Barat Shekinskaya.
Theater director, actor Shamsi Badalbeyli is the brother of musician Afrasiyab Badalbeyli.
Theater director, actor Shamsi Badalbeyli is the father of composer Farhad Badalbeyli.