Lee Hazlewood Dies

Lee Hazlewood, a singer, songwriter and producer who crafted one of the iconic records of the 1960s — Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " — then abruptly dropped out of sight at the height of his success to lead the life of a reclusive cult hero, died Saturday at his home in Henderson, Nev. He was 78.

Hazlewood died of complications of renal cancer, said his wife, Jeane Kelley. The disease was diagnosed two years ago, and Hazlewood subsequently recorded his final album, titled after a routine by English comedian Eddie Izzard, "Cake or Death."

The Oklahoma native did notable work both early and late in his career, but it was his work with Sinatra in the middle and late '60s that secured his legacy. He teamed with her on nine Top 40 singles, headed by the ubiquitous "Boots," which assumed a life of its own as a multipurpose anthem of tough-chick female empowerment.

Rest In Peace, Lee.