Who wrote the song "A Boy Named Sue," made famous by Johnny Cash?

Shel Silverstein wrote “A Boy Named Sue,” the song Johnny Cash made famous.

Cash recorded his version live at California’s San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969. The performance was released on the album At San Quentin and became Cash’s biggest hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2. Its rough, conversational delivery helped make the novelty country song a signature Cash performance.

Silverstein was already known as a writer, cartoonist, poet, and songwriter. The song’s comic story follows a boy seeking revenge on the father who abandoned him after giving him the unusually feminine name Sue. The name becomes a source of ridicule but also forces the boy to become tough.

A common mix-up is confusing the songwriter with the performer. Cash popularized the recording, while Silverstein wrote both its words and music. Silverstein later recorded his own version and wrote a follow-up from the father’s perspective.