(NationalUSNews.com) — After a decades-long career as a musician, novelist, and satirist, Kinky Friedman has died at 79.
One of Friedman’s close friends, Kent Perkins, announced the late celebrity’s death after he died in his sleep, likely due to complications from the musician’s Parkinson’s disease. Although Friedman suffered from the disease for several years, Perkins said the singer died peacefully in his sleep after enjoying a cigar. Perkins also shared information about Friedman’s life and varied career, including information about Friedman’s early days as a musician.
Friedman met Kent at a party more than 50 years ago, when the two had started producing music for Columbia Records and starring in movies. According to Kent, the two quickly became friends after they noticed each other wearing cowboy hats. When talking about the late musician, Kent said that Friedman was “fearless” and didn’t care what others thought about him, which often helped the deceased provocateur make national headlines with his irreverent behavior.
Friedman first rose to fame in the 1970s when he created the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys. Friedman’s band wrote satirical songs about religion, including several songs that referenced Jesus and sexual euphemisms. Friedman’s band achieved middling success during the early 1970s, with several notable musicians offering to have Friedman join their tours. One such musician was famous singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, whom Friedman joined in 1976 for the Rolling Thunder Revue tour.
Friedman eventually shifted his attention to writing and started writing various crime stories in the 1980s. Friedman’s stories usually included references to Friedman’s life and personal beliefs and received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. Friedman wrote for several decades, with his works varying from satirical crime novels to columns in Texas Monthly, a popular magazine from Friedman’s home state. Friedman eventually shifted his attention to politics in 2006 and ran for the Texas governorship against former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Although many considered Friedman’s controversial political platform as a satirical approach to politics in the southern United States, the deceased celebrity assured potential voters that he believed in same-sex marriage and medicinal marijuana. Friedman famously claimed that he used humor to show Texas voters the ridiculousness of politics and even joked about Perry while demanding the Republican governor’s unconditional surrender. Despite many people finding Friedman’s approach to politics offensive, Texas residents have taken to social media to mourn the late singer-songwriter and celebrate his varied career as a provocateur.
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