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Lee Hazlewood (9 July 1929 – 4 August 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late fifties and singer Nancy Sinatra in the sixties.^[2]

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".^[3]

The son of an oil man, Hazlewood was born in Mannford, Oklahoma^[1] 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.^[1] He served with the United States Army during the Korean War.^[1]

Following discharge from the military, Hazlewood worked as a disc jockey while honing his songwriting skills. His first hit as a producer and songwriter was "The Fool", recorded by rockabilly artist Sanford Clark in 1956. Hazlewood partnered with pioneering rock guitarist Duane Eddy.^[1], producing and cowriting an unprecedented string of hit instrumental records, including "Peter Gunn", "Boss Guitar", "40 Miles Of Bad Road", "Shazam!", "Rebel Rouser" and "[Dance With The] Guitar Man".

Hazlewood is perhaps best known for having written and produced the 1966 Nancy Sinatra US/UK #1 hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". He also wrote "How Does That Grab Ya, Darlin'" and "Sugar Town" for Nancy.^[2] He also wrote "Houston", a 1965 US hit recorded by Dean Martin.

In the 1970s Hazlewood moved to Stockholm, Sweden where he wrote and produced the one hour television show Cowboy in Sweden, which also later emerged as an album.^[4]

Hazlewood was semi-retired from the music business during the 1970s and '80s. 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, Beck, and Boyd Rice.

In 2006, Hazlewood sang on Bela B.'s first solo album, Bingo, on 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,^[1] yet undertook an extensive round of interviews and promotional activities in support of his latest album, Cake or Death.

His last recording was for the vocals of Icelandic quartet Amiina's next single^[5].

Hazlewood died of renal cancer^[6] Henderson, Nevada on 4 August 2007, survived by his wife Jeane, son Mark and daughters Debbie and Samantha.

• The Worldwide Fansite of Lee Hazlewood
• theage.com.au - 'Requiem for a pop hit master'
• NewYorkNightTrain.com Lee Hazlewood obituary and record guide
• Obituary and Tribute
• Unedited Lee Hazlewood Audio 2006
• Unedited Lee Hazlewood Video 2006
• The Daily Telegraph Obituary
• Arcane Radio trivia Radio Biography