David Allan Coe, the controversial outlaw country music star known for his 1980s hits and inflammatory racial slurs, has died at the age of 86. The singer-songwriter, who boasted a career spanning nearly six decades, passed away at 5:08 p.m. local time on Wednesday, his representative confirmed to People Magazine.
A Life of Outlaw Country
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1939, Coe spent much of his youth in reform school and correctional facilities, where he developed his passion for music. He claimed to have served 22 years for crimes including armed robbery and car theft, and even asserted he had been on death row for killing an inmate. After his release in 1967, he moved to Nashville, busking on the streets to support his career before releasing his first album, Penitentiary Blues, in 1970.
Coe achieved his biggest successes in the 1970s and 1980s. He wrote number-one country singles for other artists, including Tanya Tucker's Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) and Johnny Paycheck's Take This Job and Shove It, which earned Coe a Grammy nomination. His own breakthrough came in 1975 with You Never Even Called Me by My Name, followed by the enduring Longhaired Redneck in 1976. His 1980s hits included The Ride and Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile.
The Original Outlaw
Coe proudly embraced the outlaw country label, a subgenre that rebelled against the polished Nashville sound with rock influences and introspective lyrics. In a 1993 interview, he declared, 'I was singing that stuff for years. I was living it for years. Willie [Nelson], Waylon [Jennings] – they just got more famous. I was the original outlaw.'
Controversy and Racist Lyrics
Despite his musical contributions, Coe faced severe criticism for using racial slurs and racist stereotypes in his songs. He released two underground albums in limited quantities that contained hate speech, which The New York Times in 2000 characterized as 'among the most racist, misogynist, homophobic and obscene songs recorded by a popular songwriter.' One song disparaged Black men in relationships with white women, while another was titled I Made Linda Lovelace Gag. Coe later sold these songs on his website without his name attached.
Coe denied being a racist, insisting the songs were mischaracterized. He told Country Standard Time, 'I've got a Black drummer who's married to a white chick. I've got Leon Spinks' pictures all over my bus... I'm the farthest thing from a white supremacist that anybody could ever be.'
Personal Life and Health
Coe released over 40 studio albums and was married six times. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to obstructing the IRS from collecting taxes and was ordered to pay nearly $1 million. He dealt with health issues in later years, including knee replacement surgery and a hospitalization for COVID-19 in 2021. No cause of death has been confirmed, but reports indicate he was in intensive care after years of declining health. He is survived by his sixth wife, Kimberly Hastings, and five children: Tyler, Tanya, Shyanne, Carson, and Shelli.
