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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSILVERSTEIN, Shel(b Sheldon Allan Silverstein, 25 September 1930, Chicago; d 10 May 1999) Songwriter, poet, author, cartoonist. He served in U.S. military in Korea and Japan, contributing drawings to Pacific Stars And Stripes; formed the Red Onion Jazz Band '61 and made an album called Hairy Jazz; as a cartoonist he supplied amusing social commentary in drawings to Playboy, the Village Voice etc for nearly 20 years. He is best known for his beautifully comic verse for children (Where The Sidewalk Ends '74, A Light In The Attic '81, stories The Giving Tree etc, illustrated with his unmistakable drawings), and songs: 'A Boy Named Sue' by Johnny Cash was a huge hit '69 both country and pop, no. 3 UK, won two Grammys; 'Here I Am Again' and 'One's On The Way' were recorded by Loretta Lynn, the latter a no. 1 country hit '71; 'Sylvia's Mother' by Dr Hook and the Medicine Show was no. 5 USA, 2 UK '72 and they recorded other Silverstein songs; also Hank Snow ('I'm Still Moving On'), Tompall Glaser (Songs Of Shel Silverstein '76 on MGM), Bobby Bare (many hits, including LPs Lullabies, Legends And Lies '75 on RCA, Bare '81 on CBS). His own albums had a cult following, including Freaking At The Freaker's Ball '69 on Columbia/Embassy (with 'I Got Stoned And I Missed It', 'Don't Give A Dose To The One You Love Most'), Songs And Stories '72 on Parachute, The Great Conch Train Robbery '81 on Flying Fish, Where The Sidewalk Ends on Columbia. He came back with Bob Gibson on Making A Mess Of Commercial Success '94, a collection of new Silverstein songs. (In 2006 this album had been out of print for years, which is criminally stupid on the part of whoever owns Asylum these days.) There was also I Got Stoned And Missed It: The Best Of Shel Silverstein 1971-79 by Dr Hook. |