Dr. Hook (shortened from Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show in 1975) was an American blue-eyed soul, rock band, formed in Union City, New Jersey. In addition to their own material, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show performed songs written by the poet Shel Silverstein.Their music spanned several genres, mostly novelty songs and acoustic ballads in their early years; their greatest success came with their later material, mostly consisting of disco-influenced soft rock, which the band recorded under the shortened name Dr. Hook.