David Allan Coe is a former member of Outlaws MC and is best known as a musician with country, blues and rock influences.
Some of his early performances saw him riding onstage and insulting the audience, sometimes even in his Outlaws MC full colors.
View our full list of Famous Outlaws MC Members.
David Allan Coe Early Life / Personal Life / Prison
He was born on 6 September, 1939 in Akron, Ohio.
From an early age he spent many years in various facilities, often behind bars.
Some of those locations are as follows:
- Age 9: He was sent to the Starr Commonwealth for Boys reform school in Albion, Michigan.
- Age 14: He was sent to Boys Industrial School in Lancaster, Ohio.
- Age 16: National Training School for Boys
- Age 17: Lewisburg Penitentiary
- Age 18: Chilicothie Reformatory
- Age 19: Lima State Hospital (under observation)
- Age 20: Ohio State Reformatory
- Age 20: Ohio State Penitentiary
- Age 21: Ohio State Reformatory
- Age 23: Ohio State Penitentiary
- Age 25-27: Marion Correctional Institution
It was these later years in prison that led to him meeting Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1929-2000), a musician who encouraged David Allan Coe to write.
Motorcycles have also played a very large part in his identity, with many being owned by him over the years. His first was a whizzer motorized bicycle, he then moved on to a Cushman scooter, followed by an Indian and then finally found Harley Davidson motorcycles. His first was a Harley Sportster and he has since had many Harley Panheads.
David Allan Coe is affectionately known by the acronym of DAC.
In June 2008 he was charged with various offences including Disorderly Conduct after an altercation at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa. He was with his girlfriend (now wife) and hit the jackpot on a slot machine and left his girlfriend to collect the jackpot. A scuffle broke out when security asked for his identification. His version of events was fully backed up as the incident had been caught on camera. The charges against him were later dropped.
In March 2013 David Allan Coe’s Chevy Suburban was hit by an 18 wheeler in Ocala, Florida. The Suburban was pushed off of the road and completely totalled, the 18 wheeler ended up on it’s side and wrapped around a concrete pole. David Allan Coe suffered from broken ribs and bruised kidneys in the accident, however after a few weeks in hospital was released and only months later continued his musical performances.
In June, 2016 he was ordered to pay back the IRS $980,911.86 and sentenced to three years of probation after being found guilty of tax evasion.
David Allan Coe Outlaws MC
David Allan Coe joined the Outlaws Motorcycle Club after having cousins who were already club members.
He is a former member of an Outlaws MC chapter in Louisville, Kentucky. He has also been known to ride with the Outlaws in Dayton, Florida.
He often brought his love of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club up onto the stage and was known as one of the “outlaws” of Country Music, along with other performers including Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
The following story was told in an interview in relation to a concert that he was playing named “48 Hours in Atoka” in Oklahoma:
“At that time I was in the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. I had my Outlaws’ colors on, and I had my pistol in my pocket and I rode my motorcycle up on stage while Waylon was singing. I got off my motorcycle, and went out and started singing with Waylon. And then Willie came out and sang with us. There was a picture of us in the paper that had an arrow pointing to the pistol in my pocket and another arrow pointing to where it said, “Outlaws, Florida.” The headline said, “The Outlaws came to town.” That’s actually how it all started”.
He is now retired from the club.
David Allan Coe Music
David Allan Coe has been an active musician since the late 1960s. After meeting the musician Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in prison who encouraged him write he was then released from prison in 1967 and moved to Nashville to begin his career as a musician.
He was the first artist to have an all-female backup band. At times David Allan Coe has come under fire for his lyrics, with many claiming that he is a racist because of the lyrics of some of his songs, most notably “Nigger Fucker”.
His music has a large biker following, with his tours often being part of the biker scene events such as the Easyriders Tour.
David Allen Coe has connections with, either in the capacity of being a band member or touring with, the following acts:
- The Tennessee Hat Band
- Confederate Railroad
- Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies
- Kid Rock
- Pantera
- Uncle Kracker
- Warren Haynes
- Waylon Jennings
- Willie Nelson
He has been seen to play at times using a confederate flag design guitar. This guitar was given to him as a gift by Dimebag Darrell of the band Pantera.
David Allan Coe Media
David Allan Coe: Greatest Hits
Some of his most famous songs include “The Ride”, “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile”, “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” and “Longhaired Redneck”.
Listen to free previews of his songs from his Greatest Hits album on Amazon (link opens in a new tab). Just scroll down to where all of the tracks are listed and press the “play” button for 30 second previews.
As an author has written a number of books:
- The Book of David
- Ex-Convict (1982)
- Just For the Record (1978)
- Poems, Prose and Short Stories (1982)
- Psychopath
- This Is … David Allan Coe (1996)
Read More
- List of One Percenters Motorcycle Clubs
- Outlaw Motorcycle Club Books
- Historic Outlaw Biker Events and Massacres
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