"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.
