Lee Hazlewood was an important behind-the-scenes figure in late-1950s and 1960s American music, widely regarded as a key contributor to the “cowboy psychedelia” and “saccharine underground” genres. Born in Mannford, Oklahoma, he spent his teenage years in Port Neches, Texas, graduating from Port Neches-Groves High School. He later attended Southern Methodist University before being drafted and sent to Korea. After his discharge in 1953, Hazlewood became a deejay at KCKY in Tucson, Arizona, where he first met a young Duane Eddy, who frequently visited the station to request songs. At the time, Hazlewood was experimenting with songwriting and record production, and with his guidance, Eddy made his recording debut in 1955. Hazlewood crafted Eddy’s trademark “twangy” guitar sound and co-wrote many of his hits, beginning with the million-selling “Rebel Rouser” in 1958.

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Hazlewood soon moved to KTYL in Phoenix, becoming one of the city’s most popular deejays while gaining prominence in the rising rockabilly scene. In 1956, he wrote and produced Sanford Clark’s hit “The Fool,” which sold 800,000 copies and earned him a producer contract with Dot Records. A year later, with help from Dick Clark, Hazlewood and Lester Sill co-founded the Jamie label in Philadelphia. Through American Bandstand, they launched Duane Eddy’s national success and ultimately sold more than twenty million records. The Jamie label also released records by Neil Sedaka and Barbara Lynn and became a major force in the emerging Philadelphia music scene of the late ’50s and early ’60s.

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Hazlewood’s most famous work came from his collaboration with Nancy Sinatra. He wrote and produced her 1966 U.S./U.K. No. 1 hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” reportedly inspired by a line he overheard during an argument in a Port Arthur restaurant. At Frank Sinatra’s request, Hazlewood stepped in to help boost Nancy’s career, famously telling her during the recording session, “You can’t sing like Nancy Nice Lady anymore—you have to sing for the truckers.” She later described him as “part Henry Higgins and part Sigmund Freud,” admitting she even had a crush on him. Hazlewood went on to write a string of hits for Nancy, including “How Does That Grab Ya, Darlin’,” “Friday’s Child,” “Sugar Town,” and “So Long, Babe.” Their haunting 1967 duet “Some Velvet Morning” remains one of his most recognized vocal performances, which they showcased—along with “Jackson”—on her television special Movin’ With Nancy. Early that same year, Hazlewood produced Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s No. 1 hit “Somethin’ Stupid,” the only father-daughter duet to ever top the U.S. charts.

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Beyond the Sinatra collaborations, Hazlewood composed the theme song for the 1966 spy-spoof film The Last of the Secret Agents, wrote the theme for Frank Sinatra’s detective film Tony Rome (performed by Nancy), penned Dean Martin’s 1965 hit “Houston,” and produced several singles for Deana Martin, including “Girl of the Month Club.” His song “This Town,” recorded by Frank Sinatra, later inspired Paul Shaffer’s “Small Town News” theme on Late Show with David Letterman.

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Hazlewood continued recording and producing into the 2000s, releasing his final album, Cake or Death, shortly before his death in 2007. In the years since, his influence has grown into full cult status. In 2013, producer Charles Normal assembled a collective of musicians—including Black Francis of the Pixies, Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Pete Yorn, and members of Art Brut and the Dandy Warhols—to record a complete tribute to Trouble Is a Lonesome Town. Rolling Stone later ranked Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra’s rendition of “Jackson” No. 9 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time, securing Hazlewood’s place as one of the most innovative, unconventional, and quietly influential creators in American music history.