David Allan Coe, the pioneer outlaw country music singer known for hits such as “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and “Take This Job and Shove It,” has died.
He was 86 years old.
Announcement
Coe died at around 5:08 pm on Wednesday, April 29th. A representative of Coe announced the news to People.
The rep stated, “David was a Country Music treasure and loved his fans. More importantly, he was a true outlaw and a great singer, songwriter, and performer. Even in his years of declining health, David appreciated all of the fans.”
A cause of death has not been confirmed.
His wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, also announced Coe’s death.
She told Rolling Stone, “One of the best singers, songwriters, and performers of our time [and] never to be forgotten. My husband, my friend, my confidant and my life for many years. I’ll never forget him and I don’t want anyone else to ever forget him either.”
Rough Start
David Allan Coe was born on September 6th, 1939, in Akron, Ohio.
During his younger years, Coe was in and out of reformatories and prisons, including the Ohio State Penitentiary. He served time for a range of charges, including grand theft auto and possession of burglary tools.
Once released from prison in 1967, David traveled to Nashville in a hearse and parked outside the Ryman Auditorium, and performed on the street.
Music Career
His street-corner gig eventually turned into a record deal with Plantation Records, releasing his debut album, “Penitentiary Blues,” in 1970. Not long after, he released “Requiem for a Harlequin” in 1973.
His career skyrocketed, though, when he wrote Tanya Tucker’s 1973 hit “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone).”
Coe then signed with Columbia Records, releasing his first true country album, “The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy,” in 1974. His musical run went well into the 1980s, releasing several more records.
All in all, Coe released 42 studio albums over a career that spanned nearly six decades.
Home Life
Outside of the music industry, Coe had a busy life.
He was a former member of an Outlaws Motorcycle Club chapter in Louisville, Kentucky. His cousins were in the same club.
Coe was married six times throughout his life. For a period in the 80s, he claimed to be a Mormon polygamist.
In 2010, he married his sixth and last wife, Kimberly Hastings. They were married at the Little White Wedding Chapel with country star Toby Keith as an official witness.
He had four children, Tyler, Tanya, Shyanne, and Carson, with ex-wife Jody Lynn Coe. He also had a daughter, Shelli.
Coe leaves behind his wife and children.
Recent Health Struggles
Coe’s health has been declining over the last decade.
In 2013, David survived a terrifying crash when a semi-truck broadsided his Suburban at a Florida intersection after he ran a red light. Rescuers spent two hours cutting him out of the car. He walked away with broken ribs, bruised kidneys, and 48 stitches in his head.
In 2021, Coe was later hospitalized for a month after he tested positive for COVID.