Outrageous and irreverent but always thought-provoking, Kinky Friedman wrote and performed satirical country songs during the 1970s and has been hailed as the Frank Zappa of country music.  The son of University of Texas professor, S. Thomas Friedman; Kinky studied psychology at Texas and founded his first band while there.  King Arthur & the Carrots, a group that poked fun at surf music, recorded only one single in 1966. (The group included a friend, who would metamorphose, into Little Jewford in his next band.)  After graduation, Friedman served three years in the Peace Corps; he was stationed in Borneo, where he was an agricultural extension worker.

By 1971 he had founded his band, Kinky Friedman & the Texas Jewboys.  During the life of the band, in keeping with the group's satirical songs, some members had colorful or politically incorrect names: Little Jewford, Wichita Culpepper, Rainbow Colors, Sky Cap, Panama Red, and Snakebite Jacobs.  Friedman got his break in 1973 thanks to Commander Cody, who contacted Vanguard Music on behalf of the acerbic young performer.  That was the year he and his group made their debut album, Sold American, featuring John Hartford and Tompall Glaser.  The title track, a bitter tale of a forgotten country singer dying an alcoholic death, barely made it onto the charts, but Friedman did attract enough attention to be invited to the Grand Ole Opry.  In 1974, he recorded a self titled album for ABC Records, produced by Los Angeles pop helmsman, Steve Barri.  Although Barri and Friedman were an uncomfortable pairing, the album delighted his growing hard core fans with satirical pieces such as his response to anti-Semitism, "They Ain't Making Jews like Jesus Anymore" and a tune inspired by his days in the Peace Corps “Wild Man From Borneo.”  Along with the satires Friedman offered quieter sketches of American hard luck such as "Rapid City, South Dakota." During the mid-'70s, Friedman and his band toured with Bob Dylan & the Rolling Thunder Revue.  In 1976 he cut his third album, Lasso From El Paso, featuring Dylan and Eric Clapton.  The Texas Jewboys disbanded three years later, and Friedman moved to New York, where he often appeared solo at the Lone Star Cafe.

Moving onward from music, Friedman turned primarily toward writing, although he made occasional nightclub appearances.  He has written for Rolling Stone; was a featured columnist for Texas Monthly magazine and, most famously, is the writer of 19 unique and outrageous mystery novels such as Greenwich Killing Time and A Case of Lone Star. Equal parts whimsy and metaphysics, the books blur fiction and reality. They feature a Jewish country singer turned Greenwich Village private eye named Kinky Friedman, who sometimes returns to his native Texas; other characters are drawn from Friedman's circle of friends in both New York and Texas.  He is the also the author of 8 other books, the styles ranging from novel to non fiction travel log.   The latest YOU CAN LEAD A POLITICIAN TO WATER, BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE HIM THINK: Ten Commandments for Texas Politics (Simon & Schuster; October 2, 2007) is a chronicle of his adventures along the campaign trail and his uncensored thoughts on what’s wrong with the government in general.

Since the ‘90’s Kinky’s on going ‘pet project’ is Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch (he is the founder) where he lends his time and support to taking in and caring for stray, abused, homeless or aging animals.

In 1999 friends, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett and others covered Friedman's music on the tribute album Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman.  In 2003 Vanguard released a 30th anniversary edition of Sold American (which included bonus tracks).  In 2005, Sphincter Records issued the historically noteworthy CD, Mayhem Aforethought, a previously unreleased radio broadcast from 1973; it’s an entire stage show with Kinky and the original Jewboy band members. 

Most significantly, in February 2005, fed up with ‘Texas politics as usual’, Friedman announced his candidacy for Texas Governor and launched a serious, albeit colorful, campaign.  He and his supporters ran a successful petition drive and gathered more than 3½ times the amount of signatures needed to place his name on the 2006 ballot as an independent candidate.    Although the final outcome was not in his favor, he revived the independent spirit of Texas and inspired nontraditional voters to become part of the political process.

His newest venture is a premium cigar company – Kinky Friedman Cigars.  Five different cigars with Honduran & Nicaraguan tobaccos and beautiful hand rolled Cuban wrappers grown in Honduras debuted in August 2007 to rave reviews from seasoned cigar smokers across the globe.

Source: Sphincter Records & All Music Guide