# Tell me about Kinky Friedman, the artist. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547 "2005-11-11T06:44:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/1 "2005-11-11T06:44:02Z")
I don’t know much about Kinky Friedman, except for the fact that he’s a country singer who has song titles like “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore,” a mystery novelist, a cigar-chompin’ cowboy, a raucous raconteur, and he’s running for Governor of Texas. Okay, I guess I know all that about him. But I was enjoying what I saw of a documentary about him on CMT last night, and I wonder how much of his cowboy persona is an act/persona, and how much is really authentic. I assume he is a liberal, or at the very least, a populist a la Jesse Ventura in Minnesota, who will run on the strength of being a political outsider who can identify with the common man? More importantly, what is his music like? Does he do mostly funny novelty country songs, or is he the real deal? Who would he be compared to? Johnny Cash, Toby Keith, Bob Wills, Jimmy Buffett, a good-ol’-boy Tom Lehrer, a country-fried Frank Zappa, none of the above? Are his novels good? Even though I’ve never been a huge country fan, I love the idea of a Jewish writer-musician-politician-cowboy, and the Kinkster seems like one of those colorful personalities that make the world a much better and more interesting place. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/2 "2005-11-11T07:12:31Z")
As far as I can tell, his persona is him. He is his persona. He is the main character in his mystery novels (which are pretty good, actually). I have seen him perform with the Texas Jewboys,\* where he took off on Merle Haggard by singing that he was proud to be an asshole from El Paso. Some years later, at a booksigning, instead of reading his own work he read an excerpt from Alan Ginsberg’s _Howl_. (He did talk about his own book though.) I would say he’s the demented love child of Johnny Cash, Frank Zappa, and Weird Al, except that he brings Kinkiness into the equation. He’s a good writer, very intelligent, very creative, raucous, and often lewd. I dunno . . . you think somebody who made his bones with “Asshole from El Paso” seriously has a chance at being guv of Texas? \*opener for Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, many many years ago ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/3 "2005-11-11T07:22:12Z")
Haven’t heard his music, but his novels are an excellent read: the illicit love-child of Groucho Marx and Lawrence Block, with a little Hunter S. thrown in. Hell, I’d vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/4 "2005-11-11T13:23:17Z")
Kinky is what Kinky is. I don’t think there’s any act/persona going on with him. He’s managed to gain a cult following in two separate genres: country music and mystery novels. How cool is that? He rescued an NYC woman who was being mugged in a bank’s vestible–used his ATM card to gain access and subdued and held the mugger till the police arrived. How cool is that? To paraphrase Andrew Vachss: Anyone who thinks Kinky Friedman is just a novelty country act should listen to “Ride Em Jewboy” one of the best songs ever written about the Holocaust: In the windows, candles glowing remind you today you arel still a child. The road ahead, forever rolling, and anything worth crying can be smiled. So ride, ride em Jewboy, ride them all around the old corral. I’m, I’m with you boy, if I’ve got to ride six million miles. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/5 "2005-11-11T14:01:02Z")
Ditto on Ride 'Em Jewboy. The Kinskter is a serious country musician, counting among his friends some of the outlaw elite of country music. The novelty songs are one thing but some of the prettiest, saddest country music you’ll ever hear comes from him. \*\* Western Union Telegraph, Sold American\*\*, stuff like that. And “ **They Ain’t makin Jews Like Jesus Anymore** ” isn’t even the height of the absurdity. **“Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed”, “Waitress Please Waitress”** (which embarassed the waitress at Fitzgeralds to no end), these are far better. As an author, some of his books are far better than the others. If you want a place to start, one of the early ones (I think the first in fact) is “Greenwich Killing Time”. Good luck finding a new copy, but a good public library might have one. That persona? As others have pointed out -not an act. It’s the real deal. years ago, I think late '95, I caught him at Fitzgeralds. Sat with my friend in the front row literally with my feet resting on the stage. Still have a picture of him with us that night. He signed a snotrag for my cat (Kinky’s a cat guy, he runs an animal rescue camp in Texas, and in the books, one of the mian characters is the cat he lives with in the loft in GW) that I used to wrap **Erine, The Best Cat Ever** with when we buried him. He signed it: To Ernie, from one Great American to another" And yes, he knew it was for the cat. [Read on him in his own words](http://kinkyfriedman.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/6 "2005-11-11T14:19:52Z")
Kinky was also a student at the same Texas college as Charles Whitman, and later wrote a tribute to his old classmate: [The Ballad of Charles “Texas Tower” Whitman](http://kinky-friedman-lyrics.wonderlyrics.com/The-Ballad-of-Charles-Whitman.html) My favorite mystery of his is “Blast from the Past.” It tells the story of his early days in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/7 "2005-11-11T15:57:24Z")
The Kinkster is. That is all you need to know. “Sold American” is his best song, IMO. Althought I do like “Homo Erectus” and “We Reserve The Right To Refuse Service To You.” ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/8 "2005-11-11T16:13:48Z")
> [@mr bus guy](#): > > He signed a snotrag for my cat (Kinky’s a cat guy, he runs an animal rescue camp in Texas, and in the books, one of the mian characters is the cat he lives with in the loft in GW) that I used to wrap **Erine, The Best Cat Ever** with when we buried him. He signed it: To Ernie, from one Great American to another" And yes, he knew it was for the cat. Okay, as if I wasn’t interested in becoming a fan already, this put him over the top. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/9 "2005-11-11T16:24:14Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Okay, as if I wasn’t interested in becoming a fan already, this put him over the top. Wait till you read Kinky’s tribute to his own \*\* Cuddles, the Best Cat Ever\*\* at the end of Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/10 "2005-11-11T16:26:13Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Wait till you read Kinky’s tribute to his own \*\* Cuddles, the Best Cat Ever\*\* at the end of Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola. THAT is what I’ve been scouring the net right now looking for. Makes me cry even now when I read it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/11 "2005-11-11T16:37:48Z")
[Cuddles, the Best Cat Ever](http://www.kinkajourecords.com/cudepil.htm) WARNING: Not work safe, cause you may have to explain why you’re bawling your eyes out. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/12 "2005-11-11T16:38:53Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > [Cuddles, the Best Cat Ever](http://www.kinkajourecords.com/cudepil.htm) > > WARNING: Not work safe, cause you may have to explain why you’re bawling your eyes out. Thank you thank you. I’m saving this somewhere now. My **signed** copy of E,J & CC is still in a box in the basement. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/13 "2005-11-11T16:42:00Z")
> [@mr bus guy](#): > > Thank you thank you. I’m saving this somewhere now. My **signed** copy of E,J & CC is still in a box in the basement. That is the reason why when we buried Ernie, we buried him wrapped in the snotrag, with one of my cigars and a can of Nine Lives Sliced Beef in Gravy -his favorite snack. 'Scuse me, I have something in my eye now… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/14 "2005-11-11T16:49:37Z")
My cats are wondering why Daddy is crying and hugging them so tight. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/15 "2005-11-11T19:18:19Z")
Shit, now I’m crying. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/16 "2005-11-11T19:48:04Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Okay, as if I wasn’t interested in becoming a fan already, this put him over the top. The cat, of course, said nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/17 "2005-11-11T19:54:33Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > The cat, of course, said nothing. Probably in the rain room, taking a Nixon ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/18 "2005-11-11T20:49:15Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Shit, now I’m crying. I warned you. Kinky can write. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/19 "2005-11-12T04:18:18Z")
A great American. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547/20 "2005-11-12T08:50:58Z")
I’ve been hearing Imus talk about him a little. **Voodoo Lou** , you beat me to posting this thread by just a day or so. Good one! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-kinky-friedman-the-artist/330547.md?page=2)