Kinky Friedman, the singer, songwriter, satirist, and novelist who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, has passed away at 79. Known for touring with Bob Dylan, singing with Willie Nelson, and dabbling in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, Friedman died on June 27 at his family’s ranch near San Antonio, Texas, according to close friend Kent Perkins.
Perkins also mentioned that Friedman had been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years.
‘He died peacefully. He smoked a cigar, went to bed and never woke up,’ said Perkins, who was working as an actor when he met Friedman at a party 50 years ago when both were signed to Columbia records and movie contracts.
‘We were the only two people with tuxedos and cowboys hats. Two Texans gravitating toward each other. He was the last free person on earth … He had an irreverence about him. He was a fearless writer,’ Perkins added.
Often called ‘The Kinkster’ and known for his sideburns, thick mustache, and cowboy hat, Kinky Friedman earned a cult following and a reputation as a provocateur in his career in both musical and literary genres.
In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles like ‘They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore’ and ‘Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.’ Friedman was also part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976.
By the 1980s, Friedman had transitioned to writing crime novels that often featured a version of himself. In the 2000s, he penned a column for Texas Monthly magazine.
Friedman's foray into politics brought his irreverent style to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, he ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry, launching his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo.
Some saw the campaign as another of Friedman’s jokes, but he insisted it was serious. His platform included legalizing medical marijuana, boosting public education spending through casino gambling, and supporting same-sex marriage. Campaign slogans featured lines like ‘How Hard Could It Be?’ and ‘He ain’t Kinky, he’s my Governor.’
Perry won re-election in 2006, with Friedman finishing last. However, he didn't give up on politics, running unsuccessfully for state agriculture commissioner as a Democrat in 2010 and 2014.
Born in Chicago, Richard Samet Friedman grew up in Texas. The family’s Echo Hill ranch, where Friedman died, also operated a camp for children whose parents were killed while serving in the military.
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