Lee Hazlewood is probably best remembered as the droopy-moustached eccentric responsible for Nancy Sinatra's ode to girl power, These Boots Are Made For Walking.

Until then, he had been busy inventing Duane Eddy's distinctive guitar twang, pioneering production techniques (when using a metal grain silo as an echo chamber, he said: "We had to stop recording if it rained or a bird landed on it") to inspire a young Phil Spector and making enough money from his songwriting royalties to retire at the age of 35.

That was until 1964 when he received a visit from Frank Sinatra.

Hazlewood was volunteered to help lift Frank's 25-year-old daughter Nancy's career from the doldrums.

He recalls: "He stayed a while and talked to my buddies and came over and gave me a handshake and said: 'I'm glad you kids are gonna be working together, Lee.' And he left. And I hadn't even said yes yet."

Hazlewood instructed Nancy to sing in a lower key ("like a 16 year old who goes with truck drivers") and her records, for a few years at least, out-sold her father's.

They became one of the most successful if unlikely duos in pop music.

Their songs included some of the most risque lyrics of the era, just cryptic enough to get past the censors.

"I got away with everything. After we had put something out and it had started selling, Nancy would come in and say: 'What am I singing about? 'Cos I gotta tell people.' I said: 'Don't.' She said: 'Okay, I don't know then.' ''

Hazlewood also produced Something Stupid, a duet by Nancy and her father, a song recently revived by Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams.

Lee moved to Sweden, recorded a series of solo albums and was largely forgotten until three years ago when his albums were reissued by Sonic Youth's Smells Like Records, swiftly followed by a new album of standards to cash in on the fad for lounge music and climaxing in an appearance at the Royal Festival Hall as part of Nick Cave's Meltdown Festival.

"The audience frightened my band," he says.

Having now been brought to a whole new generation of fans, earlier this year City Slang Records released Total Lee - The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood, a tribute album including contributions from Jarvis Cocker, St Etienne, Tindersticks and Lambchop.

Hazlewood, 73, plays the Dome Theatre backed by members of the High Llammas.

It is a rare chance to see one of the most original and creative artists to come out of popular music in the past six decades.

Tickets cost £15/£17.50. Call 01273 709709.

Preview by Zoe Cutting, zoe.cutting@theargus.co.uk