Biography of Kinky Friedman  
Before Kinky Friedman became a merry, mysogynistic, misanthropic murder-mystery writer, he was a merry, mysogynistic, misanthropic Jewish country-and-western singer. After 31 years of writing, in 1986 Richard "Kinky" Friedman became a sudden international sensation as an author of mystery novels.  He has received praise from main stream mystery buffs to heads of state such as Presidents Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela; from music greats such as Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson; from literary figures such as Joseph Heller and Larry McMurtry; from funnymen Steve Allen and Dave Berry; from major newspapers all over the world.

Kinky graduated from a highly selective University of Texas Honors program, he joined the Peace Corps and served from 1966 to 1968 in the jungles of Borneo. Later, he formed his infamous band called Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys. Between 1977 and 1986, Kinky also appeared in four movies.

“Greenwich Killing Time”, Kinky's first mystery novel, was published in 1986 and has been followed by ten additional novels.  Clever, twisting plots that hold the reader in total suspense characterize his mysteries.  Yet every page is filled with his unique humor. It's difficult to read one of Kinky's books without being both mystified and laughing out loud.  Kinky's novels are now published in 14 different countries and in so many different languages even he can't read two of them.

Kinky's newest book, Blast From The Past, was released in September 1998.  This book is a prequel to his other books and will answer a lot of questions about how Kinky became involved with the Village Irregulars.

Kinky now lives a rather monastic life on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country, with two cats, three dogs, a pet armadillo, a much-used Smith-Corona typewriter, and countless Montecristo #2 cigar butts on a ranch in the Texas hill country near Kerrville, Texas.