irenetan

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.