Kinky Friedman
Kinky Friedman | |
|---|---|
 Friedman contemplates a question from the audience at a campaign rally in Bastrop, Texas | |
| Born | Richard S. Friedman November 1, 1944 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Kinky |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Known for | Music Texas gubernatorial election |
| Political party | Independent |
| Parent(s) | Thomas Friedman Minnie Samet Friedman |
| Website | blog campaign |
Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman (born November 1, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain[1]. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election for the office of Governor of Texas. Receiving 12.6% of the vote, Friedman placed fourth in the five-party race.
Biography
Personal life
Born in Chicago to Jewish parents, Dr. S. Thomas Friedman and Minnie Samet Friedman, Friedman moved with his family to a ranch in central Texas during his childhood. He had a keen interest in both music and chess at an early age. Friedman was chosen when he was 7 to be one of 50 local chess players to challenge U.S. grand master Samuel Reshevsky to simultaneous matches in Houston. While Reshevsky won all 50 matches, Friedman was by far the youngest competitor.
Friedman graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas in 1962 and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology while participating in the Plan II Honors program. He is also a member of the Tau Delta Phi fraternity. It was during his freshman year at the university that Chinga Chavin gave Friedman the nickname "Kinky," in reference to Friedman's curly hair.[2]
Friedman then served two years with the Peace Corps on the island of Borneo in Malaysia with John Gross.[3][4] He has been featured in the news including 60 Minutes on CBS and made an appearance as one of Jay Leno's guests. Friedman lives at Echo Hill Ranch, his family's summer camp near Kerrville, Texas. He also founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, the mission of which is to care for stray, abused and aging animals; more than 1,000 dogs have been saved from animal euthanasia.
Music career
Friedman formed his first band, King Arthur & the Carrots while a student at the University of Texas. The band - which poked fun at surf music - recorded only one single in 1966 (Schwinn 24/Beach Party Boo Boo).
By 1971, Friedman had formed his second band, Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys. In keeping with the band's satirical nature, each member had a comical name: in addition to Kinky there was Little Jewford, Big Nig, Panama Red, Wichita Culpepper, Sky Cap Adams, Rainbow Colours, and Snakebite Jacobs. Friedman's father objected to the name of the band, calling it a "negative, hostile, peculiar thing",[5] which gave Kinky even more reason to choose the name.
Arriving on the wave of country rock following on from Gram Parsons, The Band, and the Eagles, Friedman originally found cult fame as a country and western singer. His break came in 1973 thanks to Commander Cody, who contacted Vanguard Music on his behalf. Friedman released Kinky Friedman in 1974 for ABC Records, then toured with Bob Dylan in 1975-6.[6] His repertoire mixed social commentary ("We Reserve The Right To Refuse Service To You") and maudlin ballads ("Western Union Wire") with raucous humor (such as "Get Your Biscuits In The Oven and Your Buns In Bed"). His "Ride' em Jewboy" was an extended tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.
He made a race baiting song, "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore," a song in which Kinky verbally and physically beats up a drunken white person he deems "racist" who fictitiously berates African Americans, Jews, Greeks, and Sigma Nus in a bar.
Sample lyrics:
- "Oh, they ain't makin' Jews like Jesus anymore,
- They ain't makin' carpenters that know what nails are for"
Other Friedman tunes include "The Ballad of Charles Whitman," in which Friedman lampooned Whitman's sniper attack from the University of Texas tower on August 1, 1966. His cover of Chinga Chavin's "Asshole from El Paso", a parody of Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee" is, perhaps, his most famous song.
In early 1976 he joined Bob Dylan on the second leg of the Rolling Thunder Revue tour.
Friedman was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October 1976.
It has been reported by Mr. Friedman himself that he is the only artist known to have taped an unaired episode of Austin City Limits.[7] He has also claimed to have been the first full-blooded Jew to take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.
In February, 2007 Sustain Records released a compilation of the songs of Kinky Friedman sung by other artists called Why the Hell not... The compilation includes contributions by Dwight Yoakum, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, and Kelly Willis.[8]
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.[9]
Discography
- Sold American (1973)
- Kinky Friedman (1974)
- Lasso From El Paso (1976)
- Live From The Lone Star Cafe (1982)
- Under the Double Ego (1983)
- Old Testaments and New Revelations (1992)
- From One Good American To Another (1995)
- Classic Snatches from Europe (2000)
- Mayhem Aforethought (2005)
- They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore (2005)
Writing career
After his music career stalled in the 1980s, Friedman found a new lease on life as a detective novelist. His books have similarities to his music, 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. They are written in a straightforward style which owes a debt to Raymond Chandler. To date, he has written only one novel that did not star the Kinky Friedman character, Kill Two Birds and Get Stoned.
Friedman has also written a regular column for the magazine Texas Monthly since April 2001, although it has been suspended during his run for governor of Texas; his last essay appeared in the March 2005 issue.[10]
Two books have been published collecting some of these nonfiction writings, as well as previously unpublished ones: 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out and Texas Hold'em. He has also published a travelog (The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic) and an etiquette guide.
The recurring character "Rambam", a New York private investigator and friend of the Friedman character in the books, is based on the real-life investigator, Steven Rombom, who acts as a technical advisor for the real Friedman.[11]
Bibliography
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Politics
In 1986, Friedman ran for Justice of the Peace in Kerrville, Texas, but lost the election.
In 2004, Friedman began a serious, though colorful, campaign to become the Governor of Texas in 2006. One of his stated goals is the "dewussification" of Texas[12] Among his campaign slogans are "How Hard Could It Be?", "Why The Hell Not?", "My Governor is a Jewish Cowboy" and "He ain't Kinky, he's my Governor".[13]
Friedman had hoped to follow in the footsteps of other entertainers-turned-governors, including Jimmie Davis, Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ronald Reagan. When the campaign finance reports came out after the second quarter had ended, Friedman had raised more funds than the Democratic nominee, former Congressman Chris Bell.
On election day, November 7, Friedman was defeated by a wide margin, having received less than 13% of the state's votes in the five-candidate matchup.
Issues and positions
On education, he supports higher pay for teachers and working to lower Texas's dropout rate, which is the highest in the United States.[14] He supports more investment in harnessing Texas's alternative fuel resources such as wind and biodiesel.[14] Friedman is opposed to the Trans-Texas Corridor since it relies on toll road construction. He feels that the TTC is a land grab of the ugliest kind, with land being taken from hard-working ranchers and farmers in little towns and villages all over Texas.[15]
On capital punishment, he previously summed up his position, "I am not anti-death penalty, but I'm damn sure anti-the-wrong-guy-getting-executed".[16] More recently, he has clarified his position: "The system is not perfect. Until it's perfect, let's do away with the death penalty".[17]
On illegal immigration, Kinky wants to increase the number of Texas National Guard troops on the border (from the current 1,500 to 10,000), 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. "Texas can no longer wait for our federal government to solve our illegal immigration problem," Friedman said. "These are steps that Texas can immediately take to help stem the tide of illegal immigrants penetrating our border." Had he been elected, he had promised to meet regularly with Governors Bill Richardson (New Mexico) and Janet Napolitano (Arizona) to develop a coordinated border state plan to supplement federal efforts to curb illegal immigration.[18] Previously, Kinky put forth the "Five Mexican Generals" Plan, to pay Mexican officials to halt immigration on their side of the border. Although he originally stated "When I talk about the five Mexican generals, people think I’m joking but I’m dead serious",[19] Friedman later told the Dallas Morning News that the plan, never meant to be carried out, was a joke with an element of seriousness.[20]
According to his official Web site,[21] Friedman's answer to the question "How does Kinky feel about abortion?" is "Kinky believes in a woman's right to choose." In person, he hedges his bet, saying "I'm not pro-life, and I'm not pro-choice. I'm pro-football".[22] On social issues he has supported gay marriage, answering an Associated Press reporter's question on the subject on Feb. 3, 2005, "I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us"[16] (Friedman himself is not married).
According to Cigar Aficionado magazine, Friedman plans to roll back "any and all smoking bans" if elected. One of his favorite quotes comes from Mark Twain: "If smoking is not allowed in heaven, I shall not go".[23] Friedman supports the decriminalization of marijuana, though he doesn't advocate making its sale legal. "I'm not talking about like Amsterdam," he noted, "We've got to clear some of the room out of the prisons so we can put the bad guys in there, like the pedophiles and the politicians".[24]
Future political plans
On August 9, 2007 the Austin American-Statesman reported that Friedman is considering another run for Governor of Texas in 2010. "I'm open to running," Friedman said, adding that he won't make a final decision until after the 2008 elections.[25]
In an August 23, 2007 interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Friedman stated that if he did run in 2010, he would run as a Democrat, citing that "God probably couldn't have won as an independent".[26]
Other work & references in popular culture
Friedman appeared in the 2004 documentary film "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story" by Austin-based director Chris Elley. In the film, narrated by Governor Ann Richards, Kinky exclaims that "Jesus loved Barbecue" and analyzes the speech patterns of Texans versus New Yorkers. Raw footage from Friedman's interview appears in the 2005 DVD release of the film. He has appeared in other movies as well including Loose Shoes and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.[27]
Friedman's persona as a politically incorrect raconteur has been likened to that of movie critic and commentator John Irving Bloom, better known in print as Joe Bob Briggs, with whom he appeared in the B-movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.[28]
Friedman prefers to smoke Montecristo No. 2 Cigars, the same brand once smoked by Fidel Castro. However, he also smokes Bolivars, noting that "Simón Bolívar is the only person in history to be exiled from a country named after him".[23]. Friedman now makes eponymous cigars under the name Kinky Friedman Cigars. [29]
Friedman is given brief praise in Joseph Heller's 1976 novel, Good as Gold, in which a governor (meant to satirize Lyndon B. Johnson), tells the main character, Bruce Gold: "Gold, I like you. You remind me a lot of this famous country singer from Texas I'm crazy about, a fellow calls himself Kinky Friedman, the Original Texas Jewboy. Kinky's smarter, but I like you more."
Friedman is friends with Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and he has visited both at the White House. He wrote about his friendships with them in his November 2001 column ("Hail to the Kinkster"[10]) for Texas Monthly.
References
- ^ You Can Lead a Politician to Water, But You Can't Make Him Think, BookTV.org, October, 2007
- ^ Lone Star: Kinky Friedman on the campaign trail by Dan Halpern, The New Yorker, 2005-08-22.
- ^ Kinky Friedman Biography, Kinkajou Records.
- ^ Notable Former Volunteers / Arts and Literature
- ^ Kinky Friedman Turns To Politics, Humorist, Musician, Writer, Is Now Gubernatorial Hopeful In Texas - CBS News
- ^ Tucker, Stephen R. (1998). "Kinky Friedman". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 184.
- ^ The Austin Chronicle: Music: Looking Out My Back Door: Thirteen from 30 years of 'Austin City Limits'
- ^ Peace Corps Online | 2007.02.02: February 2, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Malaysia: Writing - Malaysia: Humor: Music: Sherman Denison Herald Democrat : Kinky invites country greats to sing his songs on "Why The Hell Not..."
- ^ Digital50: News and more Business News
- ^ a b List of Friedman's articles and Hail to the Kinkster from Texas Monthly
- ^ CNN.com "Kinky Friedman inspiration gets busted" July 26, 2006
- ^ ccrayz.com: News
- ^ Upcoming Appearances | Kinky Friedman
- ^ a b Kinky Friedman | Independent Texan
- ^ Kinky Friedman for Governor :: The Issues :: FAQ
- ^ a b http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/19/sunday/main788935.shtml CBS News, Aug. 21, 2005: Kinky Friedman Turns To Politics Cite error: The named reference "cbsnews" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ abc13.com: News from KTRK, around Houston and southeast Texas 2/28/06
- ^ Kinky Friedman for Governor :: The Issues :: FAQ
- ^ http://www.kilgorenewsherald.com/news/2005/0717/Front_Page/002.html Friedman says all Texans independents, Kilgore News-Herald
- ^ http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/discusslive/viewpoints/stories/081106dnkinkychat.5dc3680.html Chat with the candidates: Kinky Friedman, Dallas Morning News, August 17, 2006
- ^ Kinky Friedman for Governor :: The Issues :: FAQ
- ^ Friedman draws celebrity support | Kinky Friedman
- ^ a b http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,218,00.html Cigar Aficionado, Lone Star Long Shot
- ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/4185618.html Friedman urges pot be decriminalized
- ^ Kinky says he might have another go at governor by W. Gardner Selby, Austin American-Statesman, 2007-08-09
- ^ [1]
- ^ IMDb
- ^ Correspondence with fellow raconteur 'Joe Bob' Briggs
- ^ Kinky Friedman Cigars - Home
External links
- Kinky Friedman's official website
- Kinky Friedman's authorised oral biography
- Returned Peace Corps Volunteer stories about Friedman
- Biography at Kinkajou Records
- Profile of Friedman's political campaign in the August 22, 2005 New Yorker
- Kinky Friedman interviewed for Texas Monthly Talks
- Kinky's Run For Governor Of Texas (Article; Video) 60 Minutes, January 22, 2006
- Kinky Friedman at IMDb
- Kinky Friedman podcast interview - Texas music, dogs, and politics
- Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch
- Being There Interview November/December 2005
- [2]
- 2008 Kinky Friedman interview with Jon Niccum
- 1944 births
- American country singers
- American humorists
- American Jews
- American male singers
- American mystery writers
- American novelists
- American satirists
- American singers
- American songwriters
- Austin High School (Austin, Texas) alumni
- Jewish actors
- Jewish singers
- Jewish American musicians
- Jewish American politicians
- Jewish American writers
- Jews and Judaism in Texas
- Living people
- Peace Corps volunteers
- Texas musicians
- Texas politicians
- Texas writers