Lee Hazlewood(1929-2007)

This singer, songwriter and producer who wrote millionsellers for Nancy Sinatra 'These boots are made for walkin' and for Dean Martin 'Houston' and 'Shades', and for Frank sinatra 'This town' was the son of an oilman. Drafted during the Korean war, he became a country DJ in¨Phoenix in 1953. He began experimenting with session guitarist Al Casey by putting echo on country songs. His first succes was the song 'The fool' written and produced by him, under the name of his first wife 'Naomi Ford' (in fact her name was Naomi Shackleford). This composition was recorded by Sanford Clark and had the backing by Al Casey. It became a top 10 hit in the USA in 1956. His electronic gimmickry influenced an other well-known producer : Phil Spector. In 1957 Lee Hazlewood co-founded Jamie Records in Philadelphia with Lester Sill and Dick Clark, using Clark's TV-show to sell the hits of guitarplayer Duane Eddy. In 1961 and 1962, after founding with Lester Sill the Gregmark Company, he had hits with the Paris Sisters - a trio from San Francisco-. He threatened to quit the business when the United States were swamped by 'British Invasion'. Instead, at request of Jimmy Bowen, he produced hits by film-star offspring Dino, Desi and Billy on the Frank Sinatra-label 'Reprise' in 1965. He reached the top in 1966 with his composition 'These boots are made for walkin', a number 1 hit for Frank Sinatra's daughter Nancy Sinatra. He made with her several hits as 'Jackson', 'Summerwine' or 'Lady Bird'. In the seventies he moved to Sweden where he made several records and worked for television together with the Swedish director Torbjörn Axelmann. The two made also a show for the Swedish television and won 'The Golden Rose of Montreux' (an award for the best televisionprogram). In 1993, the famous British pop group Tindersticks issued a 45 rpm 7'' single 'A marriage made in heaven' based on Hazlewood's composition 'Sand'. It was considered as a tribute to Lee Hazlewood whose portrait has been placed on the cover of that single. Also in 1993 - after an interval of 13 years - Lee hazlewood could be heard on the Finnsh album 'Gypsies and Indians'together with the Finnish female singer Anna Hanski. In 1995 he did a tour with Nancy sinatra in the States, canada and Scandinavia. In 1999 he issued - for the first time in 20 years- a new solo album titled 'Farmisht, flatulence, origami, ARF!!! and me...'. It was a new collaboration with Al casey. Surprisingly Lee Hazlewood gave in 1999 also his first solo performances since 1974 in London (Royal Festival Hall) and in Stockholm where he was backed by his life-time friend Al Casey and his combo.