Posted on 08/06/2007 9:30:34 AM PDT by Borges
Singer and songwriter Lee Hazlewood, best known for his work with Nancy Sinatra, has died of cancer, aged 78.
Hazlewood wrote and produced many of Sinatra's most famous hits, including These Boots Were Made For Walkin' and Some Velvet Morning.
He also produced Duane Eddy and Gram Parsons, while a number of solo albums brought him acclaim in his own right.
He died peacefully at his home near Las Vegas, his manager said. He is survived by his third wife and three children.
"He was my friend and my mentor," said Nancy Sinatra, who released three albums of duets with Hazlewood. "I always felt safe with him.
"I will miss him terribly," she added.
Hazlewood and Sinatra scored a UK top 10 hit with Did You Ever? Hazlewood's manager Wyndham Wallace said the crooner was "without doubt one the most maverick and talented people I have ever met".
"He meant a lot to me long before I had the chance to work with him. His death is a tremendous loss for the music community."
Hazlewood's hits with Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s and early '70s included Jackson and Did You Ever?
The pair's close working relationship led to him producing Something Stupid - the duet Nancy recorded with her father Frank in 1967.
Hazlewood's music was informed by his quirky sense of humour In later years, Hazlewood became a cult figure amongst alternative musicians.
In 1999, he returned to the stage with a sell-out show at London's Royal Festival Hall after being invited to play by Nick Cave, who was curating the Meltdown Festival.
Diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2005, Hazlewood gave away his gold and platinum discs to friends outside the music industry and started worked on his final album, Cake Or Death.
Hazlewood's family have asked that people wishing to honour his memory make donations to the Salvation Army. Tributes can be left on the singer-songwriter's Myspace page.
Duane Eddy was his finest work, but Nancy Sinatra was famous.
Rock and Roll PING!
Flowers growing on a hill, dragonflies and daffodils
Learn from us very much, look at us but do not touch
Phaedra is my name
Some velvet mornin’ when I’m straight
I’m gonna open up your gate
And maybe tell you ‘bout Phaedra
And how she gave me life
And how she made it end
Some velvet mornin’ when I’m straight
Flowers are the things we know, secrets are the things we grow
Learn from us very much, look at us but do not touch
Phaedra is my name
You keep saying you've got something for me.
something you call love, but confess.
You've been messin' where you shouldn't have been a messin'
and now someone else is gettin' all your best.
These boots are made for walking, and that's just what
they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
You keep lying, when you oughta be truthin'
and you keep losin' when you oughta not bet.
You keep samin' when you oughta be changin'.
Now what's right is right, but you ain't been right yet.
These boots are made for walking, and that's just what
they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
You keep playin' where you shouldn't be playin
and you keep thinkin' that you´ll never get burnt.
Ha! I just found me a brand new box of matches yeah
and what he know you ain't HAD time to learn.
Are you ready boots? Start walkin'!
My thoughts too., Art Bell is weeping.
yup....I’ve heard that bit more in recent years on AM than I did on FM and 8-track combined way back when :)
That one still gives me chills. RIP.
Hazelwood was one of a kind. RIP
i do not miss much, but that he also produced Gram Parsons really floored me. thank you Borges and as always Weege.
You can listen to it, and their other duets, at Nancy Sinatra's site.
Art Bell sure knew how to pick the tunes to play at 3AM.
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