42 Facts About Kinky Friedman

Richard Samet "Kinky" Friedman was an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician, and columnist for Texas Monthly, who styled himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain.

Richard Samet Friedman was born in Chicago on November 1,1944, to Jewish parents, Dr S Thomas Friedman and his wife Minnie Friedman.

When Kinky Friedman was young, his family moved to the Texas Hill Country where they opened a summer camp called Echo Hill Ranch.

Kinky Friedman had an early interest in both pop music and chess, and was chosen at age seven as one of 50 local players to challenge US grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky to simultaneous games in Houston.

Reshevsky won all 50 games, but Kinky Friedman was, by far, the youngest competitor.

Kinky Friedman graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas, in 1962.

Kinky Friedman subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1966, majoring in psychology.

Kinky Friedman took part in the Plan II Honors program and was a member of the Tau Delta Phi fraternity.

Kinky Friedman served two years in the United States Peace Corps, teaching in Borneo, Malaysia with John Gross.

Kinky Friedman lived at Echo Hill Ranch, his family's summer camp near Kerrville, Texas.

Kinky Friedman founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, located near Kerrville, whose mission is to care for stray, abused and aging animals; to date, the ranch has saved more than 1,000 dogs from animal euthanasia.

On June 27,2024, it was announced that Kinky Friedman had died at his home at Echo Hill Ranch, Medina, Bandera County, Texas, from complications of Parkinson's disease.

In keeping with the band's satirical nature, each member had a comical name: in addition to Kinky Friedman there were Little Jewford, Big Nig, Panama Red, Wichita Culpepper, Sky Cap Adams, Rainbow Colours, and Snakebite Jacobs.

Kinky Friedman's break came in 1973 thanks to Commander Cody of Commander Cody and Kinky Friedman's Lost Planet Airmen, who contacted Vanguard Music on his behalf.

Kinky Friedman's "Ride 'Em Jewboy" was an extended tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.

Kinky Friedman covered Chinga Chavin's "Asshole from El Paso", a parody of Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee".

Kinky Friedman was the musical guest on the Season 2 fifth episode of Saturday Night Live which aired on October 23,1976.

On July 20,2007, Kinky Friedman hosted the Concert to Save Town Lake to honor the memory of Lady Bird Johnson and her efforts to protect and preserve the shores of Town Lake in Austin, Texas.

Kinky Friedman's books have similarities to his song lyrics, featuring a fictionalized version of himself solving crimes in New York City and dispensing jokes, wisdom, recipes, charm, and Jameson's whiskey in equal measure.

Kinky Friedman authored two novels that do not star the Kinky Friedman character: Kill Two Birds and Get Stoned and The Christmas Pig.

Kinky Friedman wrote a regular column for the magazine Texas Monthly from April 2001 to March 2005 which was suspended during his run for governor of Texas.

Kinky Friedman has published a travelog and an etiquette guide.

In 1986, Kinky Friedman ran for Justice of the Peace in Kerrville, Texas, as a Republican but lost the election.

In 2004, Kinky Friedman began an ostensibly serious, though colorful, campaign to become the Governor of Texas in 2006.

Kinky Friedman had hoped to follow in the footsteps of other entertainers-turned-governors, including Jimmie Davis, Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ronald Reagan.

Kinky Friedman released a statement on October 15,2013, announcing his intent to again run for Texas agriculture commissioner as a Democrat.

Kinky Friedman previously ran for the post in 2010, losing in the Democratic primary.

Kinky Friedman supported the full legalization and cultivation of hemp and marijuana, declaring that the end of the prohibition is a health, education funding, prison reduction, border security, and state's rights issue.

Kinky Friedman supported more investment in harnessing Texas's alternative fuel resources such as wind and biodiesel.

Kinky Friedman was opposed to the Trans-Texas Corridor since it relies on toll road construction.

On illegal immigration, Kinky Friedman wanted to increase the number of Texas National Guard troops on the border, impose $25,000 and $50,000 fines on companies that hire illegal immigrants, and require foreign nationals seeking employment to purchase a foreign taxpayer ID card once they have passed a criminal background check.

Previously, Kinky Friedman put forth the "Five Mexican Generals" Plan, to pay Mexican officials to halt immigration on their side of the border.

On February 10,2009, Kinky Friedman confirmed to the Associated Press that he was still interested in running.

Kinky Friedman then announced on December 14,2009, that he was leaving the gubernatorial race and would instead seek the party nomination in March 2010 for Texas Agriculture Commissioner.

Kinky Friedman lost the nomination to rancher Hank Gilbert in the primary held on March 2,2010.

Kinky Friedman appeared in the 2004 documentary film Barbecue: A Texas Love Story by Austin-based director Chris Elley.

Raw footage from Kinky Friedman's interview appears in the 2005 DVD release of the film.

Kinky Friedman appeared in other movies as well including Loose Shoes and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

Kinky Friedman preferred to smoke Montecristo No 2 Cigars, the same brand once smoked by Fidel Castro.

Kinky Friedman wrote about his friendships with them in his November 2001 column for Texas Monthly.

Kinky Friedman was responsible for the quote "you've got to find what you love and let it kill you," which is often falsely attributed to the poet and novelist Charles Bukowski.

Kinky Friedman hosted the live concert music television show "Texas Roadhouse Live" around 2011, which would air on over-the-air network television late Saturday night in some Texas markets.