Singer/Producer Hazlewood was a Keener fave

He was best known as the writer/producer of Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 break through “These Boots Are Made For Walking”, but Lee Hazlewood, who died this week at age 78, put his imprint on a number of Keener hits. The former Arizona disk jockey charted twice as a singer. A pair of duets with Sinatra, “Jackson” and “Some Velvet Morning”, made their way to the WKNR Music Guide in 1967. But his work behind the scenes had a longer reach. He co-wrote Duane Eddy’s smash “Rebel Rouser”, worked as producer for Dean Martin, Dusty Springfield, Dino, Desi & Billy and Petula Clark and handled the controls when?Sinatra Senior asked him to?produce?the?Frank and Nancy top 5 classic “Something Stupid”. The songs he wrote provided a lifetime of financial security that allowed Hazlewood to thumb his nose at the record company establishment. Yet he kept recording until the end. His?final collection “Cake or Death” was released last year. Here’s how NPR showcased his life and career.