Lee Hazlewood |
Lee Hazlewood (July 1929 - August 2007) was an American country singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with Duane Eddy during the late fifties and Nancy Sinatra in the sixties.
The son of an oil man, Hazlewood was born in Mannford, Oklahoma and spent most of youth living between Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Louisiana. Hazlewood spent his teenage years in Port Neches, Texas where he was exposed to a rich Gulf Coast music tradition. Hazlewood studied for a medical degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He served with the United States Army during the Korean War.
Following discharge from the military, Hazlewood worked as a disc jockey while honing his songwriting skills. Among his early hits was "The Fool", recorded by rockabilly artist Sanford Clark in 1956. Hazlewood also worked with pioneering rock guitarist Duane Eddy and became co-composer with Eddy on such hit singles as "Boss Guitar", "40 Miles Of Bad Road", "Shazam!", "Rebel Rouser" and "[Dance With The] Guitar Man".
Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra |
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Hazlewood was most famous for writing the 1966 Nancy Sinatra UK #1 hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"; "How Does That Grab Ya, Darlin'" and "Sugar Town", also for Nancy. He also wrote "Houston", a US hit recorded by Dean Martin. However, his own output also achieved a cult status in the underground rock scene, with songs covered by artists such as Lydia Lunch, Primal Scream, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave, Hooverphonic, Anita Lane, Megadeth, and Boyd Rice.
In the 1970s Hazelwood moved to Stockholm, Sweden where he wrote and produced a television series and album named "Cowboy in Sweden."
Hazlewood had a distinctive baritone voice that added an ominous resonance to his music. Hazlewood's collaborations with Nancy Sinatra as well as his solo output in the late 1960s and early 1970s have been praised as an essential contribution to a sound often described as "Cowboy Psychedelia" or "Saccharine Underground".
1929 - 2007 |
In 2006, Hazelwood sang on Bela B's first solo album, Bingo, the song "Lee Hazlewood und das erste Lied des Tages" ("Lee Hazlewood and the first song of the day").
In 2005 he was diagnosed with terminal renal cancer, yet undertook an extensive round of interviews and promotional activities in support of his latest album, Cake or Death.
Hazlewood died of renal cancer Henderson, Nevada on August 4, 2007, survived by his wife Jeane, son Mark and daughters Debbie and Samantha.
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