David Allan Coe performs onstage during the 46th Annual Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic at Austin360 Amphitheater on July 04, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Credit: Rick Kern/WireImage for Shock Ink)
David Allan Coe, the country singer-songwriter known for hits including "Take This Job and Shove It" and "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," has died, according to reports. He was 86.
Coe’s wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone on Wednesday. A representative also confirmed the news to People Magazine.
Country singer David Allan Coe dies
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," Hastings Coe wrote to Rolling Stone.
A statement from a Coe representative to People said he died around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
"David is a musical treasure," the representative said, adding that Coe "appreciated all of the fans."
His cause of death wasn’t disclosed.
His wife posted on Facebook in September 2021 that he had been hospitalized with COVID-19, and he made few appearances since then.
David Allan Coe’s legacy
The backstory:
Coe was born Sept. 6, 1939, in Akron, Ohio, and had a troubled youth, spending time in reformatories and serving time in an Ohio prison from 1963 to 1967 for possession of burglary tools.
After his release, he moved to Nashville to pursue music and released his debut album, "Penitentiary Blues," in 1970.
Throughout the years, Coe did concert tours with Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Neil Young and others.
David Allan Coe was known for songs like "Take This Job and Shove It" and "You Never Even Called Me By My Name." (Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
He wrote "Take This Job and Shove It," a hit by Johnny Paycheck in 1977, and "Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone)," a hit by Tanya Tucker in 1974.
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He was also the first country singer to record "Tennessee Whiskey," penned by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, that has since become a massive hit for singer Chris Stapleton.
His own country hit recordings included "You Never Even Call Me by My Name," "The Ride" and "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile."
Coe also appeared in a handful of movies, including "Stagecoach" and "Take This Job and Shove It," which was named after his song.
According to Rolling Stone, Coe faced financial troubles in the mid-2010s and pleaded guilty in 2015 to tax-related charges. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $1 million in back taxes.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press, FOX News contributed.