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News of his death spread quickly, prompting tributes from musicians, writers, politicians, and ordinary Texans who felt he had spoken directly to them at some point in their lives. Many described him as irreplaceable. Others called him infuriating, hilarious, brave, or necessary. All of those descriptions fit.
Friedman’s legacy cannot be reduced to awards or chart positions. It lives in the permission he gave others to be strange, outspoken, and unafraid. He showed that you could belong to a place without conforming to it, that you could love something deeply while still criticizing it relentlessly.
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