David Allan Coe, voice behind 'The Ride', dead at 86

David Allan Coe – the controversial outlaw country icon behind classics like You Never Even Called Me by My Name and The Ride — has died at 86.

As per his representative, Coe passed away on April 29.

“David was a Country Music treasure and loved his fans,” his rep said. “Most importantly, he was a true outlaw and A great singer, songwriter, and performer.”

And “outlaw” was not just branding – it was basically his entire operating system.

Born in Ohio in 1939, Coe spent much of his youth in reform schools and correctional facilities before heading to Nashville in the late 60s with a guitar, a rough reputation, and absolutely no interest in fitting into country music’s polished mold.

By the 70’s, he became one of outlaw country’s loudest voices alongside names like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings – though Coe always insisted he got there first.

“I did it,” he once said of his outlaw status. “I was the original outlaw.”

His career produced hits, Grammy recognition, and more than 40 albums. But it also came with years of backlash over racist and offensive material tied to underground recordings he later defended as “biker humour.”

Even critics who condemned the controversy often acknowledged the influence.

Coe remained a deeply divisive figure right up to the end – admired by many country fans, rejected by others, and impossible to ignore wither way.

He is survived by his wife and children.