MUMBAI: Kinky Friedman, a singer-songwriter, satirist, novelist, and leader of the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, passed away. He also dabbled in politics, running campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, and went on tour with Bob Dylan.
The Associated Press was informed by close friend Kent Perkins that Friedman, 79, passed away on Thursday at his family's Texas ranch close to San Antonio. Perkins stated that Friedman had been afflicted with 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 cowboy hats. Two Texans gravitating toward each other,” Perkins said. “He was the last free person on earth … He had an irreverence about him. He was a fearless writer.”
Throughout his career, Friedman who called "The Kinkster" gained a cult following and a reputation as a provocateur in both the literary and musical worlds. He was known for his sideburns, thick mustache, and cowboy hat.
In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976.
By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s.
Friedman’s run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo.
“We’re gypsies on a pirate ship, and we’re setting sail for the Governor’s Mansion,” Friedman said at the campaign launch. “I’m calling for the unconditional surrender of Rick Perry.”
Some saw the campaign as another Friedman joke, but he insisted it was serious. His platform called for legalizing medical marijuana, boosting public education spending through casino gambling and supported same-sex marriage. Campaign slogans included “How Hard Could It Be?” and “He ain’t Kinky, he’s my Governor.”
“Humor is what I use to attack the windmills of politics as usual,” Friedman said.
In 2006, Perry was re-elected, and Friedman came in last. But he didn't give up on politics; in 2010 and 2014, he ran two unsuccessful Democratic campaigns for state agriculture commissioner.
Richard Samet Friedman was raised in Texas but was born in Chicago. Friedman's family operated a camp for youngsters whose parents had been killed while serving in the military out of their Echo Hill ranch.
Perkins indicated that funeral plans were still pending.
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Credit- News 18
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