Today is the 58th birthday of Nancy Sinatra, crooner Frank Sinatra's oldest
child, who
was born in Jersey City, N.J., to his first wife, Nancy. The
younger Nancy studied acting, singing and dancing as a child and
appeared with her father on television, most notably in a special with
Elvis Presley in 1960.
After a brief marriage, Nancy began recording in earnest on Frank's Reprise
Records. At first, she had hits only in the U.K., but she finally broke through in a
big way with 1966's "These Boots (Are Made For Walkin')." The song was a
million-seller and topped
the U.S. pop-singles chart. She then had a top-5 million-seller with the double-
sided
"Sugar Town/Summer Wine."
"These Boots" was produced by singer/songwriter Lee Hazlewood, who
suggested that Nancy lower her range and stick with bass-heavy tracks. He
was behind many of her hits from then on, including "Love Eyes" and
"Lightning's Girl." Hazlewood also turned Nancy on to country & western music
and she had another top-20 hit with the
"Jackson."
In 1967, she sang the title song to the James Bond film
"You Only Live Twice" and enjoyed another #1 by dueting with her father
on the novelty tune "Somethin' Stupid." Nancy even sang duets with
Hazlewood, who sounded like Johnny Cash, on songs such as "Some Velvet
Morning."
But after 1969, her hit-making years were history. She
continued to appear on television, guesting on shows such as
"The Virginian," and she appeared in films such as "The Oscar" and
"Speedway," starring Presley.
Through the years, she continued to defend her
father when he was accused of being tied to the Mafia. She and her younger
sister, Tina, always made sure that they were consulted over the use in books
and films of anything pertaining to Frank, especially as their dad's health
declined.
In the mid-'90s, Nancy attempted a sort of "comeback" by recording some tunes
and posing nude for Playboy. But little became of these efforts. She was
most recently in the public eye when Frank Sinatra died in May. Media spotted
her putting a pack of cigarettes in the pocket of her swingin' dad's burial jacket.
When accepting an American Music Award for her father this year, Nancy
told the crowd that her dad was the coolest guy on the planet next to
Puff Daddy.
Other birthdays: Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night), 56; Boz Scaggs, 54; Bonnie
Tyler, 45; Alex Van Halen, 45; Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), 38; Nick Rhodes
(Duran
Duran), 36; Doris Pearson (Five Star), 32; Neil Mitchell (Wet Wet Wet),
31 ... Rob Pilatus (Milli Vanilli), 1965-1998.