Jean Shepherd as an Influence for the Song
American radio and TV personality, actor, writer and storyteller, Jean Shepherd had a career that spanned more than five decades. Mostly known for his film “A Christmas Story” (1983) that he co-scripted and narrated, Shepherd was a good friend of Shel Silverstein, which is how he became the inspiration behind “A Boy Named Sue.”
Source: slate.com
The feminine sound of his name has bothered Shepherd all his life, and he was long mocked during his childhood because “Jean” is pronounced like the feminine name “Jeanne.” Shepherd mentioned how difficult it is to live with an unusual name in multiple interviews over the years. Shel Silverstein was one of Shepherd’s close friends and discussing the difficulties of being raised with a feminine name sparkled his imagination to write the lyrics for “A Boy Named Sue.”