Shel Silverstein
Cartoonist / Poet / Songwriter
Date Of Birth:
25 September 1930
Date Of Death:
10 May 1999
heart failure
Place Of Birth:
Chicago, Illinois
Name at birth:Sheldon Alan Silverstein
Shel Silverstein is best known for his quirky and irreverent children's books and poetry, including the modern classicsThe Giving Tree(1964),Where the Sidewalk Ends(1974) andA Light in the Attic(1981). Silverstein got his start whenHugh Hefnerhired him in the 1950s to be the resident poet/cartoonist forPlayboymagazine. While contributing poems, cartoons and travelogues to the magazine, Silverstein also wrote songs, among them the 1972 hit "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show and "A Boy Named Sue" byJohnny Cash. He was also nominated in 1991 for an Oscar, for the song "I'm Checkin' Out," performed byMeryl Streepin the moviePostcards From the Edge(1990, written byCarrie Fisher) Silverstein's other books includeA Giraffe and a Half(1964),The Missing Piece(1976) andFalling Up(1996).Copyright 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.
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