Kinky Friedman, Musician and Raconteur Known For Satire, Dies
by Greg Brodsky
Kinky Friedman, performing in Austin, Tex.
Kinky Friedman, one of music’s unique singer-songwriters and humorists, died today (June 27, 2024). The musician’s death, at age 79 at his home near Austin, Tex., was reported by several of his friends on social media, and attributed to the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Friedman originally earned acclaim during the growth of country-rock in the early ’70s, with his band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, with their name inspired by the Western swing band Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Within years, he was part of the large ensemble touring with Bob Dylan in the Rolling Thunder Revue.
Ever the satirist, his songs featured such titles as “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore,” “We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service To You” and “Asshole From El Paso.”
Friedman’s account on Twitter (also known as X) confirmed his passing.
Kinky Friedman stepped on a rainbow at his beloved Echo Hill surrounded by family & friends. Kinkster endured tremendous pain & unthinkable loss in recent years but he never lost his fighting spirit and quick wit. Kinky will live on as his books are read and his songs are sung. pic.twitter.com/sIXnoglSby
— Kinky Friedman (@FriedmanKinky) June 27, 2024
Nobody could invent a character quite like Friedman, the stogie-waving, black-hat-wearing Texas singer, storyteller, tequila purveyor, animal rescuer and full-time iconoclast. Though renowned for penning some of outlaw country’s most outrageous songs, authoring bestsellers and running for governor of Texas in 2006, his five-decade career included touring with Dylan, recording with Eric Clapton, most of The Band and Ringo Starr; appearing on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest during season two and at the Grand Ole Opry; and writing one of Nelson Mandela’s favorite songs. He also became the protagonist of his own crime novels, because even he couldn’t invent a character that could out-kink Kinky Friedman.
Friedman, born in Chicago on October 31, 1944, moved with his family to Texas where he graduated from Austin High School and a B.A. from the Univ. of Texas at Austin.
One of his brothers in spirit, fellow musician-turned-radio host Mojo Nixon, died earlier this year.
In 2015, he began a recording comeback, releasing his first studio album in nearly four decades. At the time, he said, “A happy American creates nothing great,” he adds. “My definition of an artist is someone who’s ahead of his time and behind on his rent. If you can figure out how to stay that way, you can write the great shit that Kris [Kristofferson] and Willie [Nelson] were able to do. Look at what shape Willie was in when he was writing in Nashville—he had three little kids and was just broke, living in a trailer park. Willie wrote ‘Night Life, ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ and ‘Crazy’ all in one week—a terrible week in his life.”
In a tribute, bassist Leland Sklar called Friedman “one of the more fascinating characters I have had the pleasure of working with.”
The J. Geils Band’s Peter Wolf wrote, “What an incredible talent… author, politician, singer and the wittiest raconteur whose gentle spirit will be sorely missed.”
A 2007 compilation of his songs, Why the Hell Not, included covers recorded by Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam and Lyle Lovett. Many of his recordings are available here.
Related: Musicians we’ve lost in 2024
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationKinky was an original and will be missed. RIP
he had the balls to stand up to racism, and blow cigar smoke in its face. a good guy…