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Legendary singer Nancy Sinatra turns 85. This article looks back on her iconic life and career through a series of photos.
Iconic singer Nancy Sinatra just turned 85, and what a glorious life she has lived. The artist, who is also Frank Sinatra's eldest daughter, made the brave decision to follow her father's path and make a career out of singing while creating an unmatched impact with her breakthrough women's anthem, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."
Here is a walkthrough of the major stages of her life.
Nancy Sinatra's Childhood
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on June 8, 1940, Nancy was the eldest daughter of legendary singer and actor Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato. She grew up with her brother Frank Jr. and sister Christina. In the 1950s, she went to the University of California, Los Angeles, to study dance and music.
Growing up, she was an important part of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). Her road to stardom began at age 17, and in 1957, she debuted on The Frank Sinatra Show.
Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
Being the singer's eldest daughter, they shared a close personal and professional relationship. The duo joined hands for both on-screen and musical collaborations.
“It was electric to be with him,” she said about her father. “There’s only one Frank.”
In fact, Frank's career took off when she was 4 years old, which was an inspiration for the song “Nancy (with the Laughing Face).”
“My mother said I used to cry when I heard his voice on the radio, because he wasn’t there, he was coming from this box,” Nancy said in an interview with Vancouver Sun. “My dad was always there, even though he wasn’t living in our house. He was always on the phone, always just a car ride away.”
Besides sharing the screen together, the father-daughter duo released "Somethin' Stupid" in 1967 together. At that point, Nancy's career had already taken off.
In 1998, when her father passed away, she expressed how difficult it was to grieve him,
In an interview with Vancouver Sun she stated, "I know my brother and sister feel the same. The man was probably one of the most photographed people who ever lived," she said. "You hear his music everywhere, without warning. It’s like constantly being bombarded, like somebody putting their fingers in the wound. No, it’s not easy.”
Nancy Sinatra's onscreen career
Nancy made her debut in the 1964 film For Those Who Think Young, starring in two additional "beach party" pictures, Get Yourself a College Girl (1964) and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966). In her most renowned film performance, Speedway (1968), she played IRS agent Susan Jacks opposite Elvis Presley, where she described him as "the funniest and most serious man" she knew.
Nancy Sinatra's Marriages
Sinatra was married twice in her life. She married pop sensation Tommy Sands in Las Vegas in 1960 and put her music career on hold while they were married. She described the relationship as "a stumbling block" in her career goals. This led to a divorce in 1965, just before her musical debut. After that, she married choreographer Hugh Lambert in 1970, on her father Frank Sinatra's birthday. Nancy and Lambert had two daughters, Amanda Lambert (1976) and AJ Lambert (1974). Lambert sadly passed away in 1985 from cancer. Nancy referred to him as "the love of my life" and stated she will miss him forever.
Nancy Sinatra's Music
Prior to her breakthrough hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered two Grammy nominations in 1965, she struggled and sang in genres and keys that weren't quite right for her. However, Boots was a generational hit as it got covered by stars like Billy Ray Cyrus and Jessica Simpson. In 1967, she and her father, Frank Sinatra, recorded "Somethin' Stupid," which went on to become the only father-daughter No. 1 hit in American history. She also added "You Only Live Twice" (1967), the James Bond theme song, to her list of musical achievements. In 1968, Nancy Sinatra recorded Nancy & Lee, a joint album with Lee Hazlewood, and hosted her own television show, Movin' With Nancy. In 1995, she finally returned to music with "One More Time".
Nancy Sinatra today
After Hugh Lambert's passing, she raised her girls alone. She stays involved on social media and frequently lends support to her daughter AJ's endeavours. In 2006, the Bang Bang singer finally received her well-deserved and long-overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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As an ode to her father, she wrote two books, Frank Sinatra, My Father (1985) and Frank Sinatra: An American Legend (1995). Frank Sinatra: My Father was something she had been planning to write since the age of 25. While reflecting on her journey in 2021, she stated,
“Without [my fans], there would be no Nancy right now. She’d just be an old lady getting older.”
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