Lee Hazlewood

Lee Hazlewood, who died aged 78, was one of the great figures of rock and roll. Yet he was never a major artist and his unspectacular vocal style and uncommercial approach made him an unlikely rocker. He enjoyed success as a songwriter (eg Houston), and as a performer he was best known for his duets with Nancy Sinatra, although I first became aware of him as a solo artist through Words Mean Nothing (It's what you do), a rather middle of the road single released on London in 1960 (a 45 I still don't own). But of course it was as the driving force and inspiration, along with Al Casey, behind Duane Eddy and Sanford Clark that he made the deepest impression. He was undoubtedly influential, yet never quite in the mainstream. He will be sorely missed. For more, here's the Indy's obit: http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2838621.ece and the Lee Hazlewood Story: http://web.inter.nl.net/users/wilkens/Lh06.html

Not a particularly successful weekend at the car boots, but I did strike gold on Friday in, of all places, Cheapo Cheapo Records in Soho, where I picked up two absolute classic R and B singles for 50p each - Shirley and Lee's I'll Thrill You on Vogue, and LaVern Baker's I Cried A Tear.