David Allan Coe

David Allan Coe, also known as DAC, is one of country music’s most controversial and enigmatic figures. With a career spanning over six decades, Coe has often been described as a real-life outlaw, and his music reflects his wild and unconventional lifestyle. Despite never achieving mainstream success, his devoted fan base has always kept him relevant and his influence on country music is undisputed.

Born in Akron, Ohio in 1939, Coe had a rough upbringing. His parents divorced when he was eight years old, and he spent most of his formative years bouncing between reform schools and detention centers. After getting out of jail in the early 1960s, Coe began his career in music, playing honky-tonk bars and writing songs for other artists.

Coe’s early music was heavily influenced by the Outlaw Country movement that had emerged in the late 1960s, which was characterized by its rejection of Nashville’s commercial sound and its embrace of a more raw and rebellious style. Coe’s first major album, “Penitentiary Blues,” was released in 1970 and featured songs about his experiences in jail, including the infamous “Longhaired Redneck,” in which he proudly proclaims his outsider status and disdain for mainstream culture.

Throughout the 1970s, Coe established himself as one of the most controversial and polarizing artists in country music. His music was often criticized for its explicit lyrics and graphic depictions of sex and violence, but Coe remained unapologetic, insisting that he was simply telling it like it is. His 1978 album “Nothing Sacred” was particularly incendiary, with songs like “Nigger Fucker” and “Fuck Aneta Briant” causing a firestorm of controversy and boycotts.

Despite his notoriety, Coe also had a gift for writing heartfelt and deeply personal ballads, such as “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)” and “The Ride,” which have become country music standards. He was also known for his raucous live shows, which often featured him performing in a leather vest and cowboy hat, brandishing a whip and surrounded by strippers.

Coe’s career hit a slump in the 1980s, and he struggled with drug addiction and legal troubles. But he remained a cult figure among his loyal fans, and his influence on the Outlaw Country movement continued to be felt, particularly among younger artists like Hank Williams Jr. and Steve Earle.

In recent years, Coe has continued to tour and record new music, although he has largely withdrawn from the public eye. He remains an important figure in the history of country music, and his unique blend of outrage, humor, and authenticity continues to inspire new generations of artists.

David Allan Coe may never have achieved the same level of commercial success as some of his peers, but his legacy as a country music outlaw is secure. He remains an iconoclastic figure who has always sung about life on the margins, unafraid to confront the darker aspects of human nature. For his fans, he is a symbol of freedom and authenticity, a voice that refuses to be silenced by the powers that be. As he himself once put it, “I don’t sing the kinds of songs that make you dream, I’m no poet, I’m no prophet, I’m no king. All I know is I’m a hell of a writer, and I love to sing.”