When you think of anyone with the last name “Sinatra,” you probably think of the famous crooner Frank Sinatra, also known as “Old Blue Eyes.” Many people don’t know that Frank had a daughter with her first wife, and his daughter’s name is Nancy. Although she wasn’t as prolific as her dad, she was actually quite talented. Her dad was already well established when she was born in 1940, so when she decided to pursue a career in entertainment, having the last name “Sinatra” didn’t hurt her, for sure. Her first gig was even on her dad’s TV variety show. With that said, she’s actually an amazing singer, and in 1966, she released a song that is just as iconic as some of her dad’s songs.
In 1966, Nancy Sinatra recorded the song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” It quickly reached number one on Billboard’s Top 100 in the U.S. and did just as well on the U.K. singles charts. But Nancy didn’t write the song. A songwriter named Lee Hazelwood wrote it to record himself, but Nancy talked him into letting her record it by telling him it sounded abusive and harsh coming from a man, but was “perfect for a little girl to sing.” Hazelwood saw the wisdom of her thinking and decided to let her go for it and he may not have known it, but history was made. Also, Nancy did something that wasn’t done much in those days. She created a promotional film for the song, which made it one of the early music videos.
“These Boots Are Made for Walkin” has been covered by tons of artists, including an eyebrow-raising cover by Jessica Simpson, who did a beautiful job singing it but released a video that was even more overtly sexual in nature than Nancy’s video. Other artists who have covered “These Boots Are Made for Walkin” include Megadeth, Billy Ray Cyrus, and even Ella Fitzgerald, with the legendary Duke Ellington and his orchestra serving as backup. But Nancy did it first.
Image via YouTube
Watch her video below.