This Texas Icon was Part Serious, Part Satire and "Kinky" Through and Through

Kinky Friedman, who formed the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, was known for outrageous song titles such as "Get Your Biscuits In The Oven and Your Buns In Bed" and "Ride 'em Jew Boy." 

He was a good writer not only of songs but also detective novels, stories for Texas Monthly and more. One of his pieces in the magazine was a beautifully written tribute to Lottie Cotton, a woman who had cared for him and his siblings.

He wasn't born in Texas but moved there at a young age. In 2006, he ran for governor. The photo in this episode's thumbnail, taken the day before the 2006 election, is attributed to Stephen C. Webster, who followed his campaign. It's available on Wikimedia Commons with this license CC BY 2.0.

Friedman's song "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore" became his signature piece, addressing themes of racism and antisemitism with a tongue-in-cheek approach. You can listen to a version of it here.

He offended people and he had adoring fans. If you search his name on the Facebook page Traces of Texas, you'll find quite a few posts about Friedman, including some of his funny and insightful quotes. Here are a couple of them: "If elected, the first thing I'll do is demand a recount" and “Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.”

To learn about his final album, "Poet of Motel 6," and for more about Friedman, go to the official Kinky Friedman site.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

Chapters

• 0:00 Tribute begins
• 0:55 Outrageous songs and detective novels
• 1:27 His campaign for governor
• 2:17 Closing remarks

Transcript

Sheldon:
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Kinky Friedman was like chopped liver.

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He was an acquired taste.

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He was a singer-songwriter whose satire was

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pure sarcasm.

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He was a talented musician and singer whose

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lyrics made it difficult to take him seriously.

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Friedman died June 27 at his Texas home

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due to complications

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from Parkinson's disease.

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He was 79.

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The Song of the Day is paying tribute

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to singers, songwriters and musicians who died in

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2024.

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Friedman got the nickname Kinky while attending the

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University of Texas because of his curly hair.

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He spent two years in the Peace Corps

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after graduating.

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When he returned from Borneo,

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he formed Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys.

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The name was a play on the Texas

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band Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

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Friedman recorded songs with outrageous titles

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like "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and

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Your Buns in Bed" and "Ride 'em Jew

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Boy."

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The former incensed women.

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The latter was a tribute to those who

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died in the Holocaust.

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He opened for Bob Dylan in 1976.

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He was a musical guest on SNL and

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claimed the title of being the first Jew

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to play at the Grand Ole Opry.

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He turned to writing offbeat detective novels in

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the 1980s.

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Friedman ran for governor in Texas in 2006.

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His campaign was part serious and part satire.

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He called for legalizing

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marijuana,

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increasing teacher pay, and cracking down on illegal

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immigration.

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He promised to lower the speed limit from

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55 miles an hour

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to 54.9

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miles per hour.

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Friedman finished fourth receiving 12 percent of the vote.

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He wrote "They Ain't Makin' Jews like Jesus

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Anymore" after a real or imagined discussion

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with a bigot in a bar.

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The song is tongue-in-cheek, filled with

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raw lyrics pointing out racism and antisemitism.

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It was pure Kinky and became his signature

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song.

Kate:
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That was Song of the Day creator Sheldon

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Zoldan.

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And I'm Kate Jones,

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host of Everyday Creation.

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Thank you for joining us today.