Kinky Friedman, an American singer, songwriter, humorist, and politician, passed away on Thursday, June 27, at his ranch in Austin, Texas. Although details about his death were initially sparse, it was later revealed by his close associate, writer Larry Sloman, that Friedman succumbed to Parkinson’s disease.
Friedman had previously run for governor of Texas as one of the two candidates in the Texas gubernatorial election. The news of his passing was announced on X, with a statement that read:
https://x.com/FriedmanKinky/status/1806330454871597460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1806330454871597460%7Ctwgr%5E7fc1888f43890b147c9c2ac2b21b5b5ee10b12f7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenexthint.com%2Fkinky-friedman-dies-at-79%2F
One of Friedman’s estates also paid tribute to him with an excerpt that stated, “They say when you die and go to heaven, all the dogs and cats you’ve ever had in your life come running to meet you.”
Friedman first gained recognition in 1973 with his music album Sold American, which included the title track, “High On Jesus,” and “The Ballad of Charles Whitman.”
In addition to his music career, Friedman entered politics in 2006, running for Texas Governor. With his humorous campaign slogan “How Hard It Can Be?” He managed to secure almost 13% of the vote.
Born on October 31, 1944, Friedman was 79 years old at the time of his death. In addition to his music and political pursuits, he was a columnist for Texas Monthly and authored several novels, including Greenwich Killing Time (1986), A Case of Lone Star (1987), When the Cat’s Away (1988), and What Would Kinky Do (1988).