Tag: Nancy Sinatra

FUN

PS Classics: Cruisin’ Through The Years

If there’s any city in the world who knows how to throw a classic car parade, it’s Palm Springs.

And for me personally, leaving the city soon, it was an excellent way to end an already amazing season.

Incorporated in April 1938, this year marks the city’s 85th anniversary.

And what better way to celebrate than to lineup 85 classic cars, one representing each year since the city’s incorporation in an attempt to achieve a new world record.

FUN FACT: The Guinness Book of World Records was on hand as no city has ever accomplished the feat of having so many cars marking 85 years in one place! Canadian owned Jim Pattison Group purchased the GWR organization in 2008.  Coincidentally, my sister works for this group owned by Vancouver business magnate, Jim Pattison.

Many famous faces were sitting inside the cars.  These photos are in no particular order.

I met Bill who owns this car – a ’52 MG TD. I think this must be the year that history making supermodel Beverly Johnson was born.
Supermodel Beverly Johnson with her fiancé, Brian Maillian.  Photo: d. king

And then there was Nancy Sinatra as the official celebrity grand marshall for the parade.  It doesn’t get more Palm Springs glamorous than that!

Nancy Sinatra with her daughter Amanda. Photo: d. king
We walked by Peepa’s store window on the way to the event. Vintage Palm Springs Life Magazine with Nancy Sinatra on the cover.

“Our 85th Anniversary Classic Car Parade & Show is sure to go down in the history books,” organizer and founder of Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions Keith McCormick said. “No other city that I know of has ever had 85 cars representing 85 years all in one place.”

Local Drag Celebrity Bella da Ball
Local Celeb Alison Martino (her dad was Al Martino) in a vintage Rolls Royce

Attendees were encouraged to photograph themselves with the vehicle representing the year they were born.

The Opening Ceremony began at noon in front of the Forever Marilyn statue with Ava Lynn Thuresson, recent contestant on NBC’s “The Voice”, singing the National Anthem. She was amazing.

It ended with an Elton John tribute band in the downtown park.  Kenny Metcalf (as Elton) played piano, sang the classics and was really, really good.

Somehow in all the excitement leading up to the concert I completely forgot about the “dress your pet like your favorite Hollywood celebrity” for the dog costume contest.  Too bad because Layla could’ve gone dressed up as Jane Fonda in Dogarella.

Forever Chic Nelda Linsk from the iconic “Poolside Gossip” photo by Slim Aarons. Photo: d. king
Poolside Gossip by Slim Aarons. In photo – Nelda Linsk (in yellow) who owned the home at the time photo was taken with her friend Helen Kaptur.  Capturing the classic Palm Springs laissez faire lifestyle.
Layla wondering why kids are playing in her water park – here at the Elton John Tribute Concert.

Got to give it up for Palm Springs.  The city sure knows how to throw a party.

Photos: d. king

STYLE

Nancy Sinatra – The “original” Influencer

March is Fashion Month in Palm Springs. Well; actually, every month is fashion month here.

Since I haven’t written much about personal style lately, I thought it would be fun to post a few things to do on that topic. Starting with Nancy Sinatra’s impact as a trailblazer in not only music, but fashion.

As part of Modernism Week, I attended a special presentation of Nancy Sinatra’s music, videos, and photos from her personal archives at the Annenberg Theatre, followed by a discussion of her influence in music and fashion.  With Nancy herself, her daughter Amanda, and a few others.

Photo: d. king

A few days later, the people of Palm Springs gave Nancy the boot(s) – literally.  We honored her with a dance performance in the street to the re-boot (ha; pun intended) of the iconic song “These Boots are Made For Walking.” A double decker bus rode by Arenas street, dancers wearing go-go boots got off and choreographically danced to the tune as Nancy stood by and watched from one of the local hotspots. DJ Mod girl spun disco tunes while we grooved to the aspiring and inspiring copycats. But we all know there’s really only “one Nancy!”

So let’s delve a little further on why Nancy Sinatra had such an impact on us – on her own merit; aside from the fact that Frank Sinatra was her dad.

Photo: d. king That’s Nancy on a slightly chilly day wearing scarves.  Her daughter Amanda is wearing “Nancy Sinatra Fan Club” yellow sweatshirt.
  • In the early 60’s her following was mostly in Europe and Japan but with her release of “These Boots Are Made For Walkin” In 1966, she gained popularity in the US.  The song instantly went to #1 on the charts.
  • She brought back to America, British designer Mary Quant’s go-go boot trend. Nancy Sinatra may have popularized the look a while ago, but the footwear craze seems to be very much in style today and hopefully here to stay.
  • Beyonce as Foxxy Cleopartra in Austin Powers “Goldmember” channelled a Sinatraesque vibe with her big hair and sexy clothing.
  • Obsessed Magazine pointed out that Quentin Tarantino sampled her 1966 song “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” in the opening of his film “Kill Bill: Vol. One.” As a result, the song was introduced to younger audience and gained popularity.

Her influence was also felt in Austin Powers “The Last of the Secret Agents.”  Check out this YouTube video:

The following was taken from an excellent indepth article written by Kate Hutchinson for the “The Independent” (full article fellow).

Nancy Sinatra who cut countless peerless tracks with producer Lee Hazlewood – swirls of peachy psychedelia, outlaw country, and strings that appeared to sweep across ocean roads – that have been used in Tarantino films or covered by Beyoncé. She made films with Elvis. She sang one of the great Bond songs. She is a stone-cold showbiz legend.

Her influence criss-crosses the decades, too. In the Nineties, Sinatra found fans among indie-rockers like Kim Gordon, Kim Deal and Beck. Then in the mid-2000s, a revival spearheaded by her daughters, Angela and Amanda, out came a compilation of Sinatra duets with the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Bono and Morrissey. Others will remember the omnipresence of that Audio Bullys remix of her Cher cover, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”. Or her cameo in The Sopranos. Her Factory Girl of the Canyons look – PVC knee-high, white boots, relaxed beehive – was mimicked by the “fembots” in Austin Powers. A decade later, you have Lana Del Rey saying she styled herself as a “gangsta Nancy Sinatra”, country princess Kacey Musgraves covering her songs, and Angel Olsen referencing her dramatic orchestral arrangements.

Full Article:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nancy-sinatra-interview-marriage-frank-sinatra-b1794647.html

You GO-GO GIRL!

Original Boots Video: