Lee, Myself & I

Book excerpt: "If I had a name like Wyndham Wallace I would not associate or correspond with anyone with a simple name like mine. However, since you have lowered yourself to such depths, how can my old Indian heart (west not east) not respond favourably." - Lee Hazlewood, fax message to the author, Valentine's Day 1999 Lee, Myself & I is an intimate portrait of the last years of Lee Hazlewood, the legendary singer and songwriter best known for 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin'', the chart-topping hit he wrote and produced for Nancy Sinatra. It begins in 1999, when Hazlewood began his comeback after many years in the wilderness, and ends with his death in 2007. In the intervening years, the author, Wyndham Wallace, became Hazlewood's friend, confidante, de-facto manager, and more, even providing the lyrics for Lee's final recording, 'Hilli (At The Top Of The World)'. In the light of reissues of Hazlewood's work by the esteemed Light In The Attic label--including There's A Dream I've Been Saving: Lee Hazlewood Industries 1966-1971, an acclaimed boxed set of his work with the label he founded, LHI, as well as further releases including liner notes by Wallace--interest in Hazlewood has never been greater. Lee, Myself & I is the first book to address his life and work. Through recollections of their lengthy conversations and adventures together, Wallace captures the complex personality--charming but cantankerous, blunt but poetic--of a reclusive icon whose work helped shape the American pop cultural landscape, and who still influences countless artists today. He also sheds light on often overlooked or more obscure aspects of Hazlewood's career, including his pioneering work with Duane Eddy and Phil Spector, and the outstanding recordings he made during his self-imposed exile to Sweden in the 1970s. Lee, Myself & I is a tale of validation: both the author's and Hazlewood's. It's the story of what it's like to meet your hero, befriend him, and then watch him die.