Kinky Friedman was born in Chicago into a Jewish family, then raised in Texas after they moved there when he was only a few years old. His Jewish identity has played a critical role in the development of his career as first a musician and then a novelist. After serving in the Peace Corps in Borneo for two years after graduating from university in the 1960s, Friedman worked as a musician for a time, leading a band called Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, performing spoof Country and Western material with titles such as “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “High on Jesus” (as well as a Country and Western interpretation of the Holocaust in “Ride ‘em Jewboy”). Not surprisingly, the band proved to be controversial, although they were successful enough to tour…
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Citation: Sim, Stuart. "Kinky Friedman". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 February 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12512, accessed 26 November 2024.]
