“Take This Job and Shove It” songwriter and country star David Allan Coe, known for the outlaw sub-genre and multiple albums once decried for containing “among the most racist, misogynist, homophobic and obscene” songs, died early Wednesday evening. He was 86.
The singer-songwriter’s death was confirmed by his sixth wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, in a statement to Rolling Stone late Wednesday. A representative for the “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and “The Ride” crooner told People he died just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“One of the best singers, songwriters, and performers of our time [and] never to be forgotten,” said Kimberly told Rolling Stone. “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.”
The Akron, Ohio native broke out in the early 1970s, after his song, “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone” topped country charts with Tanya Tucker on vocals.
Coe had a history of discussing time spent behind bars, though both Rolling Stone and CNN say the extent of his criminal past — which included charges for grand theft auto and possession of burglary tools — was believed to have been hyperbolic. Still, his first album, “Penitentiary Blues,” was comprised of songs penned in prison.
Producer Shelby Singleton told the former in 1976 he assumed the bulk of what Coe said “is probably bulls–t” and those behind his star “promoted it” as a “gimmick.”
In 1983, Coe himself told The Associated Press he would “have never made it through prison without my music.”
Coe during his life also defended his long-bootlegged “X-rated” albums “Nothing Sacred” and “Underground Album,” from 1978 and 1982, respectively, as parodies.
In 2000, The New York Times said the works contained “songs that are among the most racist, misogynist, homophobic and obscene songs recorded by a popular songwriter.”
Coe responded that year by saying he’d told The Times they “couldn’t call me a racist or White supremacist because that wasn’t true,” and in 2001, told Billboard that late poet and author Shel Silverstein had encouraged him to record the albums. Coe insisted to Billboard he’d only intended they “be sung around the campfire for bikers.”
In the aughts, Coe collaborated with some members of heavy metal band Pantera, as well as Kid Rock, even covering music by the latter.
Coe was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty in 2015 to violating tax laws. He was also ordered to pay nearly $1 million in back taxes.
According to CNN, Kimberly revealed in 2021 that her husband had been hospitalized with COVID-19.
At the time of publication, Coe boasted over 2.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, where his most-listened to songs include “If This Is Just a Game,” You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” “The Ride,” “D-R-U-N-K,” and “Longhaired Redneck.”
Coe though is most well-known for writing Johnny Paycheck’s 1977 hit, “Take This Job and Shove It” — which even inspired the 1981 film of the same name, and for which Coe is credited as co-writer.
Coe is survived by Kimberly, as well as the five children he had — including four with ex-wife Jody Lynn Coe.