Kinky Friedman, Provocative 'Sold American' Country Singer, Dies at 79

Kinky Friedman, the provocative artist and country singer-songwriter known for songs like “Sold American,” has died at the age of 79.

On Thursday, June 27, the official X (formerly Twitter) page for the Texas artist posted the news of his death, writing, “Kinky Friedman stepped on a rainbow at his beloved Echo Hill surrounded by family & friends. Kinkster endured tremendous pain & unthinkable loss in recent years but he never lost his fighting spirit and quick wit. Kinky will live on as his books are read and his songs are sung.”

Friedman’s friend, Cleve Hattersley, also confirmed his death to the Texas Tribune, telling the outlet that the musician (real name Richard Samet Friedman) had Parkinson’s disease.

Friedman, born in Chicago, had a reputation for being eccentric. He was known for curt one-liners and heavy satire, and always had a brimmed cowboy hat and cigar in hand. According to Rolling Stone, the humorist befriended several U.S. presidents, like George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and considered music legends like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson some of his closest friends. 

During his active years, Friedman developed a robust discography — which included albums like 1973’s Sold American and 1976’s Lasso from El Paso — and took an unconventional approach to country music, which earned him a cult following of alt-country music fans. Per The New York Times, he was in a band named Texas Jewboys who toured widely in the ‘70s, even once with Dylan. However, the “Resurrection” singer also made quite a name for himself outside of the music world.

Years ago, Friedman became a prolific writer, publishing several detective novels through the 1980s and ‘90s. At one point, he had also written for publications like Rolling Stone and Texas Monthly. The Circus of Life artist also dabbled a bit in politics, famously running a flamboyant campaign for governor of Texas in 2006.

Amid news of his death, Friedman’s close friend, Kent Perkins, penned a heartfelt tribute on Facebook to honor his life and legacy.

“My great friend for half a century, Kinky Friedman, slipped away peacefully at home in his sleep early this morning,” Perkins began in a post. “He leaves a legacy of laughter, music, loyalty, mercy, tolerance, servitude, and wisdom.”

He also wrote that Friedman was known among friends and family for being a “compassionate, philanthropic, soft-spoken man who devoted much of his life to serving others less fortunate,” adding that the singer and his sister, Marcie, founded the Echo Hill Ranch Gold Star Camp for young boys and girls.  

“‘The Kinkster’ left his mark on this planet, in an excellent way,” Perkins continued. “He was friends with Presidents, homeless vagrants, and every type of human being in between; all people were of equal value to him. His heroes included Moses, Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill.”

Perkins shared that Friedman performed onstage “as long as he could stand up with a guitar strapped around his neck” up until this year, “and then he performed sitting down.” 

He concluded by writing, “I learned a lot from Kinky. I never met a more honest, witty, selfless, generous, or sincere person than Richard Samet ‘Kinky’ Friedman. Somewhere in heaven, I'm sure there's a quiet corner with a big easy chair, a bright floor lamp, a big stack of biographical books, and a few old dogs wagging their tails to the faint smell of cigar smoke. Rest in peace, my friend.”