Singer, songwriter, provocateur and politician Kinky Friedman dead at 79

Kinky Friedman, the singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist who also dabbled in Texas politics with a campaign for governor, has died. Friedman 79, died Thursday at his family’s Texas ranch near San Antonio, close friend Kent Perkins told The Associated Press. He had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years, Perkins said. Friedman led the alt-country band the Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, and sang with Willie Nelson in a career that earned him a cult following across musical and literary genres.