David Allan Coe, the beloved country singer-songwriter whose catalog gave the world unforgettable songs like “Take This Job and Shove It” and “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” has passed away at the age of 86.
His wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, broke the news to Rolling Stone on Wednesday, and a spokesperson for the family separately confirmed the loss to People Magazine.
What they’re saying:
“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,” Kimberly wrote in her heartfelt message to Rolling Stone.
A family spokesperson told People that Coe drew his last breath at around 5 p.m. Wednesday, describing him as “a musical treasure” who genuinely “appreciated all of the fans.” No cause of death has been shared publicly.
It’s worth noting that Kimberly had revealed back in September 2021 on Facebook that her husband had been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19. Following that health scare, Coe stepped away from the spotlight and made very few public appearances.
A life and legacy worth remembering:
Born on September 6, 1939, in Akron, Ohio, Coe’s early years were anything but easy. He cycled through reformatories as a young man and spent time behind bars at an Ohio prison between 1963 and 1967 on charges related to possession of burglary tools.
Walking out of prison didn’t slow him down — it redirected him. He set his sights on Nashville, chased his musical dreams, and dropped his debut album, “Penitentiary Blues,” in 1970.
Over the decades, he shared stages with some of country music’s biggest names, hitting the road on tours alongside Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Neil Young, and many others.
His songwriting fingerprints are all over country music history. He penned “Take This Job and Shove It,” which became a career-defining smash for Johnny Paycheck in 1977, and “Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone),” a song Tanya Tucker took to the top in 1974.
He also holds a special place in music history as the first country artist to lay down a recording of “Tennessee Whiskey,” a song written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove that Chris Stapleton later transformed into a generation-defining hit.
As a performer in his own right, Coe delivered fan favorites like “You Never Even Call Me by My Name,” “The Ride,” and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile,” each one cementing his place in the country canon.
Beyond music, he stepped in front of the camera for a handful of film roles, appearing in pictures such as “Stagecoach” and “Take This Job and Shove It,” the latter sharing its title with his iconic song.
His later years came with financial strain. Rolling Stone reported that Coe ran into serious money troubles in the mid-2010s, ultimately pleading guilty in 2015 to tax-related offenses. A judge sentenced him to three years of probation and ordered him to repay close to $1 million in back taxes.
Featured image : David Allan Coe
