Shel Silverstein on "The Johnny Cash Show"

Outrageous! I can't believe I haven't posted this clip already, but if I did... I can't find it now. Here's Shel doing a quick duet with Cash on Silverstein's composition "Boy Named Sue," followed by an incredibly touching solo performance of a children's song he wrote called "Daddy, What If." From April 1, 1970, in its entirety.

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  Music

[Cathy Elle]

Is that the Shel Silverstein, the famous childrens' poet? Wow! Terrible voice, but loads of talent writing. Brave of Cash to credit his own success to such a nebbish, publicly on tv.

[abargle]

Google Shel. He's written a lot of your favorite songs. And yeah, Cash had cajones the size of Mt. Olympus. He faced everything head-on at 100mph. He also had a major fight with the network, who didn't want Kristofferson to sing "stoned," in Sunday Morning Coming Down, and Cash made sure the song aired as Kristofferson wrote it. Besides Springsteen, there aren't many people out there these days fit to carry on Cash's legacy.

[abargle]

Lurg: A lot of people like "pretty" singing and are turned off by expressive singing. (I try not to take it personally.) That's why people like Shel and Tom Waits remain cult figures. If they were recognized for their songwriting, they would rightly be legends. Plus, this way we get to feel like members of the coolest exclusive club in the world!

[abargle]

What a great time, when Shel and Johnny were still alive.

[Pinkie Pie]

I love Shel Silverstein but I didn't expect the high pitched voice and that singing voice. He is the best poet I know, I just didn't think that's what he sounded like, lol....

[bender rodrigues]

Shel Silversteins' song " A Front row seat to hear Ole Johnny sing"

was a great tribute. If ya haven't heard it yet

take the time to listen to it (its on youtube )

Johnnys and Shel's talent made my world a better place

[thehyperactivesloth]

nearly? that first verse Shel totally took the stage! I'm so glad I went to an elementary school that made A light in the attic mandatory reading!

[abargle]

re: Steve Goodman, see if you can find him doing "My Old Man." Shattering. Poor Steve died way, way too young.

[thingfish73]

It's Steve Goodman, not Goodwin.  He was one of America's best songwriters and one of the least known, unfortunately. Look up The Ballad of Penny Evans on youtube.

[Joseph Matthews]

Thank you for your comment. Beauty and creativity are not so much as uniformly understood as people may think. Shel reminds me of the Bodhidharma, often characterized as an old man with a stern face, but for some reason the children loved him because he understood and could relate to them.

[likhound]

A genius.

[wingchisao]

his mouth makes his beard look smaller...lol