Kinky Friedman, known for his satirical and often provocative style, has passed away at 79. A post on his social media announced, “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.”
Richard Samet “Kinky” Friedman earned a cult following for his unique take on country and Western music. He released numerous albums, starting with “Sold American” in 1973, a record that laid the foundation for his career. Known as the “governor of the heart of Texas,” he even toured with Bob Dylan during the “Rolling Thunder Revue” and made history as the “first full-blooded Jew” to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
Apart from his musical endeavors, Friedman was a prolific writer. He wrote detective novels and contributed as a columnist for Texas Monthly. He also ventured into politics, running for Governor of Texas in 2006 with the campaign slogan “My Governor is a Jewish Cowboy,” securing 12.6 percent of the votes among six candidates.
Born in Chicago and raised in Texas, Friedman studied psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. His passion for music led him to form King Arthur & the Carrots and later Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys. He described the latter as a “country band with a social conscience, a demented love child of Lenny Bruce and Bob Wills.”
Reflecting on his life, Friedman once wrote, “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.”
Michael Bublé breaks down in tears over son Noah’s health issues
Loved by millions, Canadian-born singer Michael Bublé reached worldwide fame back in 2005 with his album It’s Time and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible, which reached number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, the UK Albums Chart, the US Billboard 200, and several others.
Over the years, the Grammy Award winner has sold over 75 million records worldwide, but despite the enormous fame he enjoys, he has stayed grounded.
Michael is married to Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato with whom he has four children.
The couple’s son Noah, who will be 9 this year, has gone through an ordeal when he was diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of just 3.
At the time the singer heard the devastating news, he was promoting his ninth studio album Nobody But Me. It was shortly before performing at The One Show on BBC One in London.
“Three minutes before I came on, my wife texted and told me something was wrong,” he said during an interview with U.K.’s Evening Standard in July 2018, and added, “I just died.”
Luckily, Noah is now in remission, but Bublé described the ordeal as “the worst possible thing that you could hear as a parent, and as maybe a human being.”
“I much rather would have it have been me. Many times I wish that it had been,” the musician said and added that the experience made them even stronger as a family and gave them a new outlook at life.
On Noah’s eight birthday, Bublé shared an emotional post on Instagram, writing, “Today my hero turns 8. I’ve never met anyone as brave… I’ve never known anyone as kind or as good-hearted… and I’ll never truly be able to express how proud I am, or how deep and profound Mommy’s and my love is for you. You’ve blessed our lives in every way.”
Along with the touching message, the musician shared two photos of him and Noah over the years.
Bublé said that the prayers they received by fans, friends, and strangers helped them in their battle against the cancer as a family.
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