At the age of 79, Kinky Friedman, who was well-known for his caustic and humorous writing, passed suddenly. “Kinky Friedman stepped on a rainbow at his beloved Echo Hill surrounded by family & friends,” read a post on his social media.
Despite enduring unbearable suffering and unfathomable loss in recent years, Kinkster never lost his will to live and his sharp mind. As long as people read and sing his works, Kinky will continue to exist.
Richard Samet “Kinky” Friedman’s distinct interpretation of Western and country music led to the development of a cult following. He put out a number of albums, the first of which was “Sold American,” which launched his career in 1973. Often referred to as the “governor of the heart of Texas,” he even went on tour with Bob Dylan as part of the “Rolling Thunder Revue” and became the first person of Jewish descent to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Friedman wrote a great deal.
In addition to writing detective novels, he was a columnist for Texas Monthly. In 2006, he entered politics by running for governor of Texas under the banner “My Governor is a Jewish Cowboy.” Out of six contenders, he received 12.6 percent of the vote.
Friedman attended the University of Texas at Austin to study psychology. He was raised in Texas after being born in Chicago. He founded King Arthur & the Carrots and then Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys as a result of his love of music. “Country band with a social conscience, a demented love child of Lenny Bruce and Bob Wills,” was how he characterized the latter.
“Somewhere in heaven, I’m sure there’s a quiet corner with a big easy chair, a bright floor lamp, a big stack of biographical books, and a few old dogs wagging their tails to the faint smell of cigar smoke,” Friedman once wrote, reflecting on his life.
