Country Music Icon David Allan Coe Passes Away at 86

The music world bids farewell to the polarizing yet undeniably influential singer-songwriter, David Allan Coe, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86. His death was confirmed by his representative, who described him as a “Country Music treasure” deeply cherished by his fans.

Coe’s representative, speaking to People, emphasized that despite the controversies surrounding his career, Coe remained a “true outlaw” and a remarkable talent in the realms of singing, songwriting, and performing.

While Coe’s legacy is marked by his musical contributions, his career was not without its contentious aspects. Known for his provocative use of racial slurs in some of his work and his affinity for the Confederate flag, Coe’s artistry often sparked debate. According to Page Six, Coe was in an intensive care unit at the time of his passing.

Throughout his career, Coe left an indelible mark on country music with hits such as “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” (1975), “Longhaired Redneck” (1976), “The Ride” (1983), and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile” (1984). These tracks not only showcased his distinctive style but also cemented his place in the annals of country music history.

The musician was known for songs including 1975’s You Never Even Called Me by My Name, 1976’s Longhaired Redneck, 1983’s The Ride and 1984’s Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile.

The artist went on to put out a total of 42 studio albums over nearly 60 years as a performer.

Controversial singer-songwriter David Allan Coe has died at the age of 86 on Wednesday; Pictured in Texas in 2019 

The singer was born in Akron, Ohio, and was incarcerated for a chunk of his 20s, where he began to develop a fondness for music.

Following his release from custody in 1967, Coe relocated to Nashville, performing as a busker.

In 1970, he came out with a record called Penitentiary Blues. 

Coe continued to work as a songwriter, penning the country chart-topping 1973 track Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) for Tanya Tucker.

Coe in 1974 released the record The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy, titled after the garb he donned onstage.

In 1975, he put out the album Once Upon a Rhyme, which included the track You Never Even Called Me by My Name, a top 10 hit on country charts.

More album releases came with 1976’s Longhaired Redneck and 1977’s Rides Again. 

Coe also penned the 1977 track Take This Job and Shove It for Johnny Paycheck, for which he received a Grammy nomination.

Speaking with Phoenix New Times in 1993 about the outlaw musical genre, Coe said, ‘I was singing that stuff for years. I was living it for years.

The musical artist died at around 5:08 p.m. Wednesday, his representative said. He had dealt with health issues in recent years, including a 2021 hospitalization after catching COVID-19

Two years prior to that, he had undergone a surgery to replace his knee; Coe seen onstage in Austin Texas at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic in 2010 

‘Willie [Nelson], Waylon [Jennings] – they just got more famous. I was the original outlaw.’

Regarding the aforementioned race controversy, Coe ‘in the early ’80’s … released very small quantities of two underground albums of songs that are among the most racist, misogynist, homophobic and obscene songs recorded by a popular songwriter,’ according to a 2000 report from The New York Times. 

Coe went on to release the bootlegged material in 2000 via his website, but did not put his name on the material, the paper reported.

He denied the allegations of racism to the Country Standard Time, telling the publication that year the newspaper hadn’t given him a proper chance to issue a response to their report.

Coe told the Country Standard Time that he told the newspaper off-the-record, ‘They couldn’t call me a racist or White supremacist because that wasn’t true.’

He had dealt with health issues in recent years, including a 2021 hospitalization after catching COVID-19, Page Six reported. Two years prior to that, he had undergone a surgery to replace his knee.