Mark Twain for the baby boomers and leader of The Texas Jewboys.
Singer-songwriter, author, columnist, erstwhile politician, friend of American Presidents and cigar connoisseur Richard Samet “Kinky” Friedman died June 27th, 2024, at his family’s ranch near San Antonio, Texas, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. While he certainly had an eclectic career the common thread that joined all his activities was satire and the willingness to challenge society’s flaws. He was born to Jewish parents in Chicago, Illinois, on November 1st and moved to Texas when young with his family, which laid the foundation for him to become a Jewish cowboy.
Friedman formed his first band while studying Psychology at the University of Texas before spending two years with the Peace Corp. By the early ‘70s he’d formed his band The Texas Jewboys who fitted into the then new genre of country rock and with the help of Asleep At The Wheel’s Ray Benson got a contract with Vanguard and released ‘Sold American’ in 1973. It is probably his best album, and takes a scattergun approach to what aspects of society he attacks including Jews, women, Jesus Freaks, and mass murderers and sets a benchmark for political incorrectness. Fans at the time included the likes of Bob Dylan, Wille Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.
There is also poignancy, particularly in the title track which looks back to a more idealised America as the downside of the American Dream in the ‘70s is examined. His second major label album was 1974’s “Kinky Friedman” which despite questions over the production values maintained the quality of the songs and included the iconic ‘They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore’. He was part of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review and 1976’s ‘Lasso from El Paso’ reflected this with members of the review joining Kinky Friedman together with members of the band, Lowell George, a Beatle and though Dylan wasn’t present there was a cover of ‘Catfish’ which was unreleased at the time. While the humour may now be dated, it is still a valuable document illustrating where American roots music was in the mid-70s.
While he continued to tour and release live albums on local independent labels he didn’t release a new studio album for almost forty years preferring to use his creative energy to write twenty crime novels that feature a version of himself as the lead character. He was also a columnist for Texas Monthly and though he was never elected, he ran for Governor of Texas as an independent in 2006 and tried to become the Democratic candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner in 2010 and 2014. Politically he was his own man, using his personality and humour to become a recognised political force in Texas politics as evidenced by the funding he achieved in 2006 and that he could count Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as friends. Whatever his views on particular policies, he made sure his Jewishness was front and centre with slogans like “My Governor Is A Jewish Cowboy”.
He was certainly provocative with an absurdist’s sense of humour, but Kinky Friedman was a gifted wordsmith who was able to write poignant songs and compelling novels, like his hero Mark Twain. While politicians and record company executives were always in his sights, he did manage to make a political difference in Texas as he enriched the political debate even if he never achieved political office. While it may not be politically correct, or even advisable from a health perspective, anyone who is a fan should light up a big fat cigar in his memory, and just smile at the thought of the heavenly conversation Kinky is now having with his friend Mojo Nixon.
