Kinky Friedman dead at 79 as loved ones say musician ‘endured tremendous pain & unthinkable loss’ in final years
MUSICIAN Richard “Kinky” Friedman has died at the age of 79.
The news was announced via his X page on on June 27.
“Kinky Friedman stepped on a rainbow at his beloved Echo Hill surrounded by family & friends,” it read.
“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,” the post ended.
He was also a writer and a University of Texas at Austin alum.
His exact death date was not listed.
Kinky also ran as an independent candidate in the election for the office of Governor of Texas in 2006.
He earned 12 percent of the vote, placing fourth in the six-person race.
MUSIC CAREER
Kinky formed his first band, King Arthur & the Carrots, while in college.
They only recorded one song, Schwinn 24/Beach Party Boo Boo, in 1966.
King Arthur & The Carrots poked fun at surf music.
Richard formed his second band, Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys, in 1973.
The band did not stay together long, and Kinky released his first, self-titled album, in 1974.
The next two years, Kinky toured with Bob Dylan.
After the tour, he appeared on Season 2, Episode 5 of Saturday Night Live as the musical guest.
Richard 'Kinky' Friedman's Books
Aside from careers in music and politics, Kinky was also a writer. He wrote cloumns for Texas Monthly, as well as novels.
Kinky Friedman Mysteries
- Greenwich Killing Time (1986)
- A Case Of Lone Star (1987)
- When The Cat’s Away (1988)
- Frequent Flyer (1989)
- Musical Chairs (1991)
- Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola (1993)
- Armadillos and Old Lace (1994)
- God Bless John Wayne (1995)
- The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover (1996)
- Roadkill (1997)
- Blast From The Past (1998)
- Spanking Watson (1999)
- The Mile High Club (2000)
- Steppin’ On A Rainbow (2001)
- Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (2002)
- Curse of the Missing Puppet Head (2003)
- The Prisoner of Vandam Street (2004)
- Ten Little New Yorkers (2005)
Other novels
- Kill Two Birds and Get Stoned (2003)
- The Christmas Pig: A Fable (2006)
The musician went on a headlining world tour in 2011.
Kinky has released 18 albums, and his last one, Circus of Life, was released in 2018.
OTHER VENTURES
After Richard’s music career stalled in the 1980s, he turned to writing.
He mostly wrote detective novels, which feature a fictionalized version of himself and references to his song lyrics.
The character fights crime in New York City while telling jokes, dispensing wisdom, recipes, and charm.
He views himself as a latter-day Sherlock Holmes.
Kinky wrote two novels that did not feature the Kinky Friedman character – Kill Two Birds and Get Stoned and The Christmas Pig.
From 2001 to 2005, Richard also wrote a regular column for Texas Monthly.
The column was suspended when he ran for Governor in 2006.
However, two years after that, the publication brought back his column on a bi-monthly basis.
Before running for Governor, Richard ran as Justice of the Peace in Kerrville, Texas, as a Republican, but lost, in 1986.