Kinky Friedman Salsa & Steves’ Market & Deli: Why The Hell Not ?

http://www.kinkysprivatestock.com/

Read Kinky Friedman with a heap of salt
Sunday, January 30, 2005
By Curt Schleier

The Grand Rapids Press
Kinky Friedman is going to die.

No, not that Kinky Friedman: the singer-turned-writer-turned-politician. But that's all he wrote for the character he created.

A word of explanation: Kinky Friedman has written 16 mysteries featuring a private eye named Kinky Friedman, a former country western singer who solves crimes from his home in the country western section of Greenwich Village. His next novel, "Ten Little New Yorkers," is due out in March.
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At the moment, Friedman has more pressing concerns. For one, there is his latest book, "'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out," a series of irreverent essays on music, politics and life. Unlike the P.I. novels, this, of course, is a non-fiction book, and Friedman knows the difference.

"There is a fine line between fiction and non-fiction, which I believe I snorted in 1978," he says. Clearly, interviewing the irreverent Friedman is, well, unusual. It's best if you take everything he says with a grain of salt; better still, come with a bushel of the spice.

Oh, yes. He is also running for governor of Texas in 2006.

His campaign slogan: "If you elect me the first Jewish governor, I'll reduce the speed limit to 54.95." Perhaps two bushels of salt.

Friedman, 60, was born in Chicago but raised in Austin and Houston. His father was a psychologist and University of Texas professor and his mother a speech therapist in the Houston school system.

After graduating from UT, young Friedman joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to Borneo. "I was an agricultural extension worker. My job was to help people who'd been farming successfully for 2000 years improve their agricultural methods." He also was responsible for moving seed down river. He says he did that -- but not exactly the seed the government expected.

When he returned to the States, Friedman formed that famed C&W band known as Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys. He composed such hits as They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore and Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed, a song that inexplicably failed to become the rallying cry for the feminist movement.

"I've always been ambivalent about performing," he says. "Of course, any country singer who uses the word ambivalent should never have been a country singer."

"I wouldn't see us as a novelty act. I would see as more as a combination of Lenny Bruce and Hank Williams. But it's all in the eyes of the beerholder."

A gift for 'stand-up tragedy'

The group broke up in the mid-'70s and he moved to New York City. He performed regularly at the Lone Star Caf?nd at the Bottom Line. It was at the latter that he met Don Imus, who, in addition to his radio gig and drugs, was doing "stand up tragedy."

The mysteries came at his father's suggestion. He knew Kinky loved them and he knew that Kinky didn't really have a whole lot else going on at the time. His first, "Greenwich Killing Time," was published in 1984 -- after it had been turned down by 20 publishers.

Of course, running for governor was a logical extension of everything else he's done. What will the Kinkster do if he wins? "Well, after I demand a recount, I guess I'm stuck with it. I'm going to legalize gambling. I'm for nondenominational prayer in schools. What's wrong with a kid believing in something?...I may come out against the death penalty. I may come out against hunting. I may come out against coming out.

"If I don't win, I'm going to retire to a goat farm in a petulant snit."

Actually, Friedman is a vegan who runs the Utopia Rescue Ranch, a shelter and no-killing zone for homeless animals. He supports the ranch through sale of Kinky Friedman's Private Stock Salsa (866-32-SALSA or www.kinkysprivatestock.com).

He's also selling Farouk &Friedman's Olive Oil. The Farouk is Farouk Shami, Friedman's Palestinian hairdresser and the man he will appoint ambassador to Israel if elected governor. The olives come from his family's groves, making this "the only oil as far as we know from the Holy Land." All of the proceeds go to Israeli and Palestinian children affected by the hostilities. The oil can be ordered from faroukfriedman.com.

Curt Schleier is a free-lance reviewer based in New Jersey. He can be reached at yourlife@grpress.com

source: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1107094710205890.xml