The mid-1960s classic song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin” by American pop/rock singer and actress Nancy Sinatra continues to be played frequently today. She made her debut in 1957 as the renowned Frank Sinatra’s daughter on his ABC-TV variety show, although she was only well-known in Europe and Japan. However, after the release of her iconic hit, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” in 1966, she rose to fame and became a favorite pin-up of soldiers serving in the Vietnam War. Her colorfully attired “go-go dancers” and trendy high boots from the 1960s helped to popularize the “swinging sixties” and set a trend among young ladies. Between 1966 and 1967, Nancy charted 13 singles with Billy Strange serving as the arranger, solidifying her reputation among fans of pop and rock music. In many of her songs, she collaborated with Lee Hazlewood, and their duets quickly gained enormous popularity among listeners. In certain films, Sinatra co-starred with notable actors including the iconic Elvis Presley and her father, Frank Sinatra. Despite the short duration of her acting career, she was very well known for her roles in well-known movies alongside great actors. She took a significant pause from her career in the 1980s for personal reasons, but she later made a strong comeback and is still active in the music industry at a ripe old age.
Early Childhood & Life
On June 8, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Nancy Sandra Sinatra was given the name Nancy Sinatra. She is the eldest of the couple’s three daughters and the daughter of renowned musicians Frank Sinatra and Nancy Barbato (Nancy Sinatra Sr.).
Because of her father’s job, Nancy had to relocate from New Jersey to Toluca Lake when she was a child. She received acting, piano, and dance lessons there. Her father and professional teachers both gave her voice lessons. She had extensive instruction in the fine arts, which she perfected through years of practice.
She was up in a family where music was a must for survival. One of the most important musicians of the 20th century was her father, the iconic singer Frank Sinatra. Additionally, he was one of the best-selling musicians in music history, with over 150 million recordings sold globally.
Nancy began taking music classes at the University of California, Los Angeles after being inspired by her family’s tradition. She left school the following year to focus on her work, though.
Working in music
Alongside her father in his own television special, “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis,” Nancy Sinatra made her debut on professional television in 1960. Elvis Presley was honored for his military service in this performance, and Nancy traveled to the airport to greet him on her father’s behalf.
She was signed by her father’s record company, Reprise Records, in 1961, but her rise to fame took some time. The audience barely paid attention to her debut single, and it wasn’t until 1965 that she started to gain notoriety.
Nancy got the much-needed inspiration and her career took off thanks in part to the popular songwriter and arranger Lee Hazlewood. Lee essentially overhauled every aspect of her, including her singing and appearance. Her fortunes were drastically altered by his suggestions that she sings in a lower note and undergo a total makeover that included blonde hair, heavy eye makeup, frosted lips, and “Carnaby Street”-inspired clothing.
With her single “These Boots Are Made for Walkin” from 1966, she established herself in both the British and American music scenes. This was a big success and quickly became a hit among young people.
In the coming years, Sinatra recorded a number of songs that went on to sell over a million copies. These included the songs “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?” and “Sugar Town,” both of which were among the top 10 hits on the U.S. charts as well.
She had big songs like “Friday’s Child” in 1966, “Love Eyes” in 1967, “Lightning’s Girl” in 1967, “Tony Rome” in 1967, and “The Highway Song” with Kenny Young in 1968; all of them appeared on the top U. S. charts. Her success persisted throughout the 1960s.
Some of the most well-known albums ever released include “Boots” from 1966, “Nancy in London” from 1966, “Country, My Way” from 1967, “Sugar” from 1967, “Some Velvet Morning” from 1967, “Nancy” from 1969, “Woman” from 1973, “One More Time” from 1995, and “Sheet Music” from 1998. Other albums include “For My Dad” from 1998, “How Does It Feel” from 1999, ‘California Girl’ in 2002, ‘Nancy Sinatra’ in 2004, ‘Kid Stuff’ in 2008, and ‘Shifting Gears’ in 2013.
The acting of Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra had a brief but successful career as an actress. She made her acting debut in the 1964 movie “For Those Who Think Young.” Later in 1965, she and Frank Sinatra, who played the father and daughter in real life, respectively, co-starred in the film “Marriage on the Rocks.”
She first starred in the 1966 film “The Wild Angels” with Peter Fonda before sharing the screen with the renowned Elvis Presley in the 1968 movie “Speedway.”
Bigger Works of Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra’s breakthrough hit was “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” which was influenced by a phrase from her father Frank Sinatra’s role in Robert Aldrich’s 1963 western comedy “4 for Texas.” More than a million copies of this Lee Hazlewood composition have been sold. She was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
Together with her father, she cut the song “Somethin’ Stupid” as a single. This sold over a million copies and peaked at number one on the top music charts in the United States. She was nominated for a Grammy for it as well.
Recognition & Achievements
In 2002, Nancy Sinatra received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, and in 2005, she also received a star on the Rotterdam International Walk of Fame Star Blvd.
In addition to her Grammy nominations, Sinatra received ‘The Heart of a Patriot Award’ from the USO of Chicago in October 2006 in recognition of her years of service to the military.
In 2006, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Individual Life of Nancy Sinatra
In 1960, Nancy Sinatra wed Tommy Sands for the first time. In 1965, the five-year marriage came to an end with a divorce.
Hugh Lambert and Sinatra later wed on December 12, 1970. Angela Jennifer “A. J.” Lambert and Amanda Lambert are their two daughters. Hugh died in August of 1985.
Nancy Sinatra’s Net Worth
American actress and singer Nancy Sinatra has a $50 million dollar fortune. With the release of her hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” Nancy rose to fame. She is Frank Sinatra’s daughter.
Trivia
21 different songs by Nancy Sinatra have reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
She has also appeared twice on the Country list and ten times on the Adult Contemporary chart.
She is the first American singer to ever sing the James Bond movie’s theme song.