Country music star and Akron native David Allan Coe, known for such songs as “The Ride” and “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” died Wednesday, April 29.
He was 86.
According to his social media account, he died while he was in the hospital. No official cause of death has been released.
“We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy as they grieve this tremendous loss,” the social media post stated. “David Allan Coe was more than a singer, songwriter, and outlaw country legend, he was a voice for generations of fans who found truth, grit, pain, and life in his music. His songs, stories, and spirit will live on forever.”
The Akron native wrote more than 60 singles on the Billboard charts and maintained a cult following among fans. He composed songs for such artists as Johnny Cash, Tanya Tucker, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck and Kid Rock.
“Take This Job and Shove It,” the 1977 country hit by Johnny Paycheck, was among the dozens of songs penned by the Coe, who was known for his rebel streak.
David Allen Coe was born in 1939
Coe was the son of Donald and Lucille Coe. He attended Betty Jane Elementary School and Ellet and Coventry High schools between stints at reform school.
His dad was a factory worker at Goodyear, and his mother worked at Sears and as a secretary to J.J. Buchholzer, owner of the former Hower’s department store in Akron.
According to published reports, Donald Coe died while on the road with David on Aug. 9, 1986, in Richmond, Indiana. Coe’s album, “A Matter of Life,” was dedicated to his father’s memory.
Coe served four months in the Army but was discharged when authorities found out he was underage. He also had three stints at the Ohio Reformatory.
After he was paroled in 1967, he went to Nashville with 20 cents in his pocket. To earn money for food, he played his guitar in bars.
According to his official website, it is thought that Coe was inspired to pursue a career in music by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, with the pair believed to have written songs together while behind bars. Upon release from a prison term, Coe took heed of Hawkins’ advice and travelled to Nashville to begin his career.
David Allen Coe’s song ‘Penitentiary Blues’ was ‘all about Akron’
He released his debut album, “Penitentiary Blues,” in 1970 on Plantation Records.
“My song ‘Penitentiary Blues’ is all about Akron,” he told the Beacon Journal in an earlier interview. “I wrote it because I kept going to prison, where guys naturally talk about their hometowns. So there’s a line in the song about drinking gin and hanging around on Howard Street.”
The 6-foot-4 singer, who billed himself as the “Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy,” had 365 tattoos by the mid-1970s, and was known for his long hair and a beard.
Coe eventually moved south to Key West, Florida, where he independently released two albums: the comedy inspired “Nothing Sacred” (1978) and his controversial “Underground Album” (1982), according to his official website.
He again enjoyed chart success in the 1980s, with his hit songs “The Ride” (1983) and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile” (1984). Coe also was involved in a number of collaborative efforts, most notably “Rebel Meets Rebel,” a joint effort by Coe and Dimebag Darell and his brother Vinnie Paul alongside Rex Brown, a pioneering work fusing country with metal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron-born country star David Allan Coe, known for ‘The Ride,’ dies
Reporting by April Helms and Mark J. Price, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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