Country music singer-songwriter David Allan Coe has died. Coe’s wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe confirmed his death to the Associated Press, and People magazine reports he died around 5 p.m. Wednesday. His cause of death has not been released.
Coe built one of the most recognizable careers in outlaw country. He wrote Johnny Paycheck’s number-one hit “Take This Job and Shove It,” Tanya Tucker’s “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone),” and he recorded signature songs including “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” “Longhaired Redneck,” “The Ride,” and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile.” Coe was also the first country artist to record “Tennessee Whiskey.”
His discography spans nearly 50 studio albums and saw him rise as one of country music’s most distinctive voices and decorated songwriters over four decades.
Coe, however, was also was embroiled in multiple controversies. These included allegations of murder and prison-rape that were debunked by a biography and documentary. Coe also stood behind his use of divisive, often profane language in his songs that kept much of his music off radio airwaves led to his eventual decline as one of country music’s biggest stars. Coe said in 2004 that he was proud of his use of lyrics described as racist, anti-semitic, and homophobic.
“I grew up with all my life hearing, ‘lazy as a Mexican’, ‘stingy as a Jew’, ‘working like a n—–‘,” Coe or ‘dumb as a Polack’,” Coe said in a 2004 interview. “It’s stereotype stuff that you hear growing up that immediately puts a picture in your head.”
These controversies helped keep Coe out of the Country Music Hall of Fame despite his prolific career.
Coe was 86 years old.
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