For more than five decades, David Allan Coe‘s voice carried the dust of backroads, prison yards, and Nashville honky-tonks, turning rebellion into art and solitude into anthems. Then came a news as sudden and stark as one of his ballads, carrying the weight of a life lived outside the lines. Now, reports are surfacing that the legendary outlaw country singer and songwriter has died.
David Allan Coe dies at 86
David Allan Coe, the outlaw country poet whose voice carried fifty years of rebellion, has died at the age of 86. According to a representative’s statement to PEOPLE, Coe passed away around 5:08 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. “David was a Country Music treasure and loved his fans,” his representative said. “Most importantly, he was a true outlaw and A great singer, songwriter, and performer.”
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1939, David Allan Coe was sent to reform school at age 9 and spent much of the next 20 years in correctional facilities. It was behind bars that his passion for music took root. Upon his release in 1967, he made for Nashville to chase a music career, playing on street corners to get by.
A central voice in the 1970s outlaw country movement, Coe built his reputation with songs such as You Never Even Called Me by My Name and Longhaired Redneck. A decade later, he landed on the country charts with The Ride and Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile. He entered the country format fully with 1974’s The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy.
Alongside his music, Coe faced sustained criticism for racial slurs and stereotypes in his songs. He also drew backlash for displaying the Confederate flag. However, Coe rejected accusations of racism. Across his career, David Allan Coe released over 40 studio albums.
He was married six times. In 2010, he married Kimberly Hastings, as noted by The Boot. He had four children, Tyler, Tanya, Shyanne, and Carson, with former wife Jody Lynn Coe. Coe also had a daughter named Shelli.
Originally written by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
