Here’s a common chart trivia question: Who are the only two father-daughter teams who have both had number one hits? Hint, one of them is right here, Nancy Sinatra. You all might have heard of her father, Frank. They both have had number ones. Nancy with “These Boots Are Made for Walkin” and Frank Sinatra many many times, one of which is in our list of number ones from 1966 and which we will get to in a little while. (By the way, the other father-daughter team was Pat and Debbie Boone.)

Nancy Sinatra was born June 8, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey, the daughter of her famous father, Frank and named after her mother Nancy. She was the oldest of three children which the Sinatra’s would have. When she was young, her father’s career required the family to move to Toluca Lake, California. There she spent many years taking piano, dance, dramatic performance, and voice lessons. In 1945 (when she was five), Frank Sinatra sang a tribute to his daughter with the song “Nancy (with the Laughing Face.)” It was, of course, a big hit for Frank. (#5)

Nancy made her television premiere in 1960 on her Dad’s show The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis, which was designed to welcome Presley back. He had just been discharged from the military. On that show she sang a duet with her father. That same year, 1960, she married singer Tommy Sands. The marriage lasted five years.

She tried her hand at recording, but nothing seemed to stick. She released several singles on her father’s label, Reprise, but nothing came close to the Top 40. Then she met writer/producer Lee Hazlewood.

Hazlewood told her she was recording the wrong kinds of songs. She was a divorced woman who had been around in the world. She should be singing songs that kick, not soft love songs. So, he wrote “These Boots Are Made for Walking” just for her. It was her first Top 40 hit.

Lee told her she should sing it like she’s singing to truck drivers, and make it sexy. She sure did that. The back-up band is the session group which we have seen before, The Wrecking Crew.

Nancy was not cut out to be just a singer. She became an actor and starred in several movies during the late 60’s. She was also a frequent guest on various television shows. She starred with Elvis Presley in his film Speedway in 1968. Her recording career only lasted until about 1968. In 1967, she hit number one again: a duet with her father, Frank, “Something Stupid” which we will cover in 1967.

“These Boots Are Made for Walking” debuted on the pop charts on February 5, 1966 and spent one week at number one.