Richard “Kinky” Friedman, the actor, musician, and author, has died at the age of 79. The news was shared on Thursday through X, stating, “Kinky Friedman stepped on a rainbow at his beloved Echo Hill surrounded by family & friends.” The post highlighted his enduring spirit despite facing “tremendous pain & unthinkable loss in recent years.”

Kinky Friedman, born John Friedman, attended the University of Texas at Austin. He formed his first band, King Arthur & the Carrots, in the 1960s and later the Texas Jewboys in 1973. He released 18 albums, with his most recent, “Circus of Life,” in 2018. He also toured with Bob Dylan and appeared on Saturday Night Live.
Kinky ran for governor of Texas as an independent candidate in 2006, finishing fourth. He also wrote detective novels featuring fictionalized versions of himself, alongside contributing to Texas Monthly. Despite various career shifts, his legacy in music and literature endures.

“Kinky will live on as his books are read and his songs are sung,” the post concluded.