David Allan Coe‘s daughter, Tanya Montana Coe, appears to be in shock over her father’s death.
“Waking up to the news that your dad has died and not being given the opportunity to see him one last time is a hell I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy,” Tanya, 39, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, April 30. “If anyone finds out about any funeral arrangements, please let me know, as I would like to be at my dad’s funeral.”
In an Instagram post from September 2025, Tanya said she had a distant relationship with her father, writing in part, “I had been estranged from my dad for quite awhile. … Suffice it to say, my father disowned me.”
It’s unclear if they were ever able to reconnect before David’s death.
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News broke on Wednesday, April 29, that David had died at the age of 86. The outlaw country singer’s wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone.
“One of the best singers, songwriters, and performers of our time [and] never to be forgotten,” she wrote to the publication. “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.”
A cause of death was not immediately available.
David was a complex figure in the country music industry. He found success writing mainstream hits for artists like Tanya Tucker, Billie Jo Spears and Johnny Paycheck. He also was the first artist to record “Tennessee Whiskey,” the song written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove that is well known thanks to a cover sung by Chris Stapleton.
At the same time, David sparked controversy for a period of offensive, racist songs that he claimed were parodies.
In 2000, The New York Times called two of his early albums “among the most racist, misogynist, homophobic and obscene songs recorded by a popular songwriter.”
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David denied the allegations of racism and told Rolling Stone in 2005 that he wrote the controversial songs while in prison, where racist slurs “didn’t mean nothin’.”
When visiting David’s website, his team seemingly acknowledged some of the singer’s controversial songs over the years.
“His lyrics have spurred controversy, featuring frequent profanities, tales of drug use and sexually explicit material, gaining him the title of the ‘outlaw’s outlaw,’” his website stated. “With his throaty baritone and dirty grooves, [David’s] honky-tonk country certainly sounds pretty badass.”
