Clive Hattersley, a lifelong friend, remembered him as a gifted communicator who could elicit strong emotions, whether via tears or laughter.

Hattersley also stated that he was suffering Parkinson’s illness. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s when he formed the satirical country band Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys, who recorded songs like “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed.”