David Allan Coe, the outlaw country singer-songwriter known as the "Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy," was born in Akron, Ohio, on 6 September 1939, and this article marks what would have been his 87th birthday. Coe's rebellious image both fuelled his cult following and limited his mainstream appeal, though his songwriting legacy endures through hits he wrote for other artists, including Johnny Paycheck's 1977 number one "Take This Job and Shove It" and Tanya Tucker's chart-topping "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)". He died in April 2026 at the age of 86.

Coe had a troubled early life, entering a boys' reform school at age nine and cycling through juvenile and adult prisons for two decades on charges including burglary and auto theft; he credited fellow inmate "Screamin'" Jay Hawkins with encouraging him to start writing songs. After his 1967 release, he moved to Nashville, initially living in his car, before releasing his 1970 debut album Penitentiary Blues and later signing with Columbia Records. He scored further hits such as "You Never Even Call Me By My Name" (1975, co-written with John Prine), "The Ride" (1983) and "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile" (1984), while his 1983 album Castles in the Sand reached number eight on the country albums chart; he later faced controversy over lyrical content and tax disputes before collaborating with artists including Kid Rock in the 2000s. He died of pneumonia on 29 April 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida, with his wife Kimberly Coe paying tribute to him as one of the era's finest singers, songwriters and performers.