I’m sure you read his stories as a child, but maybe you’ve never heard his music. I wish i knew him! Jack of all trades. What a great grandfather he must have made…

Sheldon Alan Silverstein, better known as Shel Silverstein (September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999), was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children’s books. He sometimes styled himself as Uncle Shelby, especially for his early children’s books.
Silverstein confirmed that he never studied the poetry of others and therefore developed his own quirky style: laid-back and conversational, occasionally employing profanity and slang.

Silverstein’s passion for music was clear early on as he studied briefly at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. His musical output included a large catalog of songs; a great number of which were hits for other artists – most notably the rock & roll group Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show (later shortened to just Dr. Hook).

from wikipedia