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Billy Strange Dead: 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'' Collaborator Dies at 81

Michael Ochs Archives

Famed singer-songwriter and musician Billy Strange passed away Wednesday (Feb. 22) in Nashville at the age of 81, the Tennessean reports. His cause of death is unknown at this time.

A member of the Musicians Hall of Fame, Strange played with Willie Nelson, Bob Willis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Nat King Cole and Dean Martin, among others. In the 1960s, he was a member of the "Wrecking Crew," a group of Los Angeles-based session musicians who played on albums including the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' and Nancy Sinatra's 'Boots.' On the latter project, Strange helped songwriter Lee Hazlewood with the musical arrangement for the album's now-classic hit, 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.' He also teamed with Mac Davis to co-write 'A Little Less Conversation and 'Memories' for Elvis Presley.

The Southern California native was also the brains behind the Frank and Nancy Sinatra duet, 'Something Stupid,' which became Old Blue Eyes' first million-selling record. His association with the father-daughter pair didn't stop there. In the 1970s, Strange moved to Nashville to open and run a publishing company co-owned by the two.

"My dear friend, the legendary guitarist/arranger Billy Strange passed away this morning in Nashville," Nancy Sinatra wrote on Twitter. "My heart is shattered."

The musical renaissance man was a musician and singer on numerous TV shows early in his career, including 'The Sons of the Pioneers' and 'The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show.' In addition, Billy served as the musical director for the first five Academy of Country Music Awards.

Watch Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'' Video

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jean_taylor3

I always admired Billy's music, met him only once, he was quiet and very handsome,I was only 16 at the time and he was 21,he never even noticed me.

February 26 2012 at 12:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ndobedo

I meant " Base!" I thank you.

February 25 2012 at 11:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rose

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The female extras appearing in the video to Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" circa 1966 could easily be extras in a Star Trek rerun! Greg's awareness of these things is uncanny!

February 25 2012 at 10:04 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Rose

My best friend told me told me ** Hunt'Rich.COM ** .it is the p'lace whe're you can meet milliona'ires, wh'o are sear'ching for their sp'ecial someone.DO u know it?
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R.I.P. Mr Strange ~ Thank You For The Music

February 25 2012 at 10:02 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
ndobedo

Billy Strange was the arranger on one of our albums. At the time, that was all I knew about him and that he knew his music stuff. I never heard the term "wrecking crew" when we were recording but later realized we had been with some of the very best music producers and musicians ever. We always had Glen Campbell, Leon Russell and that little woman stand up Bass player that was smaller than her Bass. I wish I could remember her name. Good times in our lives! Rest in peace Billy. The Fleetwoods

February 25 2012 at 8:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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February 23 2012 at 10:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
stnycrk101

Its a tribute to Billy Strange that he was a regular member of " the wrecking crew" , playing alongside Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Osborne, etc. They were great musicians, backing dozens of hits from the sixties & seventies, & Billy was right there helping to make those hits.

February 23 2012 at 9:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DEBRA!

OH, my God. what a call of the past, hearing this news and of his many affiliations. I had no idea. I'm shocked. I'm a music groupie. Why don't I know this stuff? Just the interrelationships between rock, pop, etc. Thank you for publishing this info.

February 23 2012 at 8:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Vasu Murti

When we were in high school during the the Carter Administration, my friend Greg was far more hip to past, current and changing fads and trends than I ever was.

This might have been due to his having several older sisters: as a child, he saw his sisters swept up in Beatlemania, miniskirts, the hippie look, etc.

I was into the Star Trek reruns in high school, and Greg commented that Star Trek didn't give a believable depiction of the 23rd century.

Greg spoke with mild amusement at the idea that the female crew members on the starship Enterprise would all be wearing miniskirts and go-go boots!

Greg saw Star Trek as 1960s television writers projecting the society around them three centuries into the future.

Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, said that the show's costume designer Bill Theiss came up with the Enterprise uniforms well before "the miniskirt craze" began.

However...

The female extras appearing in the video to Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" circa 1966 could easily be extras in a Star Trek rerun! Greg's awareness of these things is uncanny!

Star Trek was considered groundbreaking because it depicted a future in which humans had survived race riots, the arms race and Cold War tensions, averted World War Three, and finally freed from past prejudices like racism, sexism, and nationalism, were venturing into interstellar space.

Thus, the only defect in the Nancy Sinatra video (which Star Trek would have corrected, of course), is that all the female extras in "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"... are white!

February 23 2012 at 7:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
wstep1964

Billy Strange was also the man who wrote and played the guitar on the 007 theme for the early James Bond movies. . A tune familiar to cinema fans for the past 50 years. Rock on Billy.

February 23 2012 at 6:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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