which american poet won a grammy award for writing a johnny cash song

The American poet who won a Grammy Award for writing a Johnny Cash song is Shel Silverstein.

Quick Scoop

Shel Silverstein, best known for his whimsical children's books like The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends , also had a serious side career as a songwriter. One of his biggest crossovers into country music was writing the Johnny Cash hit “A Boy Named Sue.”

The Grammy win

• The song “A Boy Named Sue” was recorded live by Johnny Cash at San Quentin State Prison in 1969.

• Silverstein won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Country Song for writing it, while Cash’s performance helped turn it into a cultural phenomenon.

Why this is a fun trivia nugget

• Many people know Silverstein only as a beloved children’s poet, so learning he penned a rough-and-rowdy Johnny Cash classic feels like an unlikely crossover between nursery shelves and outlaw country.

• The question “which american poet won a grammy award for writing a johnny cash song” has become a popular trivia and quiz item online, and the answer consistently points to Shel Silverstein.

So if you see this pop up in a quiz or forum thread, the name to lock in is: Shel Silverstein.

TL;DR: Shel Silverstein won a Grammy for writing Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue,” earning the 1970 Grammy for Best Country Song.

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