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May 13, 2011
A real Jewish cowboy
Kinky Friedman explains his no-nonsense satire.
RON CSILLAG
Kinky Friedman is tough to get a fix on. Clearly, he can’t stand politicians, political correctness or squishy liberals. Yet, he’s run for public office, rescues animals and supports environmental causes, and he can’t much stand conservatives either.
The self-styled “original Texas Jewboy,” Friedman has been called “the Frank Zappa of country music.” He’s also described himself as “a Jewish pain in the ass.” The American singer, songwriter and humorist probably wouldn’t mind being compared to such legendary U.S. satirists as Will Rogers and Mark Twain.
It was in 1971 when Friedman formed his second band, the one with which he’s been forever linked: Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys (whose members included “Little Jewford” and “Snakebite” Jacobs). It was a name that caused some Jews to wince, while others cheered his chutzpah. Ever since, Friedman’s been lampooning rednecks, politicians and PC strictures with such classic tunes as “Ride ’Em Jewboy,” “A**hole from El Paso” and “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore.”
Still full of beans and vinegar at 66, Friedman last month launched his Springtime for Kinky tour, with Toronto his sole Canadian stop – a fundraiser for the Koffler Centre of the Arts.
“Being on the road is what keeps me going,” he told the Independent from his home in Kerrville, Tex. (Somewhat romantically, the British publisher of his books waxes that Friedman “lives in a little green trailer somewhere in the hills of Texas. He has four dogs, one cat, one armadillo and one Smith Corona typewriter.”)
Being a traveling musician “is a very high calling,” Friedman said. “We’re above being a politician, in terms of the truth. It’s all part of the cowboy code – knowin’ how to ride, shoot straight and tell the truth.”
It’s the code he swore to uphold when he ran as an independent candidate in 2006 for governor of Texas. Don’t laugh: he polled 12.6 percent of votes and placed fourth in the six-person race.
He ran because Texas was dead last among U.S. states in the provision of health care for children and 49th overall in education. “That’s a pretty sad state of affairs for the eighth largest economy in the world,” Friedman said. But “you can’t win this thing,” he added with resignation. “The Republicans and the Democrats both suck. They’re the Crips and the Bloods.” And then he goes on an extended tear.
Politicians “deserve two terms,” he said, “one in office and the other in prison.” And he reserves what seems like rattlesnake venom for President Barack Obama. “He’s spiritually weak,” Friedman said. Asked whether he could elaborate, he drawls, “Nah, not really,” and then does anyway.
“He’s a disappointment by any standard. He’s a disaster. He’s just not a leader. He handled the oil spill here in the Gulf terribly hands off. That was an opportunity for him to be somebody, and he wasn’t. He’s very much a Harvard professor – and that won’t work. You gotta have a man of the people.”
Friedman takes a breath, and then: “I can’t think of one living politician that I respect and admire. And a few of them are friends. The only things I’m really interested in now are Libya and Charlie Sheen. Right now, I would vote for Charlie Sheen over Obama. In a heartbeat. Charlie Sheen is honest and he’d be a more forceful leader.”
Is he angrier now than 20 years ago?
“I hope so,” he said. “I should be angrier ... kind of a Mark Twain anger.” If he had a motto, it would be, “Love humanity but don’t trust ’em.”
Friedman was born in Chicago (the “Kinky” nickname came about as a result of his unruly hair, not any sexual proclivity) and the family moved to a ranch in central Texas when he was still young.
Being a Jew “really didn’t in any way affect me,” he recalled of his childhood. “I think the Mexicans got the bulk of the attention. Not that I haven’t felt some antisemitism, but it hasn’t been down here.” It was in New York, actually, “but not much. That’s mostly because I wear my Star on my sleeve. I am pretty much king of the Jews in Texas.”
Friedman is proud to say he was the first “full-blooded Jew” to take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Though he’s never played Israel, he’s been there “a couple” of times. “I’ve been told I’d go over great in Israel and I’d like to do it very much,” he enthused.
He counts as his influences Hank Williams and Willy Nelson. And Bob Dylan? “Bob?” he inquired. “Sure.” In 1976, Friedman joined Dylan on the storied Rolling Thunder Revue tour. “It’s all contained in Heroes of a Texas Childhood,” one of “31 books I’ve churned out ... I mean, carefully crafted.”
Indeed, when he’s not strummin’ and croonin’, Friedman is a prolific author. His oeuvre has encompassed detective novels, as well as volumes dispensing Texas wisdom and charm. About a dozen have been published as e-books.
Asked whether the term “satirist” is too broad to apply to him, Friedman responded, “That’s one thing I am. But it’s only for God and small children to determine.”
Ron Csillag is a Toronto freelance writer.
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