BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The latest, and presumably last, album of original material by country music legend David Allan Coe will be released on Friday, October 16. The project has a distinct Ohio influence to it as well. Coe was born in Ohio along with quite a few of the songwriters. Crawford County’s own Shane Grove is one of those featured Ohio songwriters.
“I got to know David well over a decade ago when I was the entertainment director for the Bratwurst Festival and we booked Uncle Kracker. David Wade, an educator from West Holmes, came to see Kracker and found out that I was a songwriter through the opening act of the concert. David Wade had already had a song cut with DAC and would go on to become his manager for many years.” Grove is not the only Crawford County connection on this project. “I had been writing with Erik Westfall, a fellow Wynford High School alum, for years.” Erik is a co-writer on the title track “A Million Reasons” and the song that launched the whole project “Corner of Cash and Coe”
Recorded in 2017 through Average Joes Entertainment, the 11-track album was spearheaded by Colt Ford, with production from Noah Gordon (Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks & Dunn) and Lex Lipsitz (Taylor Austin Dye, Sean Stemaly, Jon Wolfe). The recordings were ultimately shelved before being acquired by Ken Madson in 2022, who worked to bring the completed project to release following Coe’s death on April 29, 2026, at age 86.
“When I began working with David Allan Coe in 2017 to record this album, my goal was to capture his voice and musical legacy in the best way possible,” says Madson. “The project ultimately took a different path than we anticipated, but I remained committed to seeing the recordings completed and made available to his fans.”
At the center of the project is the title track, “A Million Reasons,” written by Jim Moose Brown, Shane Grove, David Wade and Erik Westfall, which carries a particularly personal significance. The song emerged from one of the final legal chapters of Coe’s life. On Sept. 14, 2015, Coe pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to a charge involving obstruction of the administration of the Internal Revenue laws. During that period, the songwriters began shaping a song around the idea of reaching a point where there are seemingly countless reasons to surrender — but finding one reason strong enough to keep going.
That sentiment becomes the emotional centerpiece of an album arriving after Coe’s death, giving A Million Reasons an unexpected resonance as the final completed studio project of a legendary outlaw.
“David Wade and I had picked up DAC and taken him to his appearance in Federal Court. Wade went inside with him and I just walked around downtown Cincinnati.” mused Grove. “Wade sent me a text that said DAC owed a million dollars to the federal government and I started thinking about the heaviness of that. I pulled out a notebook and wrote the lines that would become the hook. You just never know what is going to inspire a song but you certainly learn to listen to inspiration whenever it knocks!”
David Wade shared the same sentiment about the humble beginnings of the album. “This album’s title track ‘A Million Reasons’ started being written the afternoon we took David Allan Coe to federal court in Cincinnati, where he was found guilty of owing the IRS a million dollars,” former DAC co-manager and songwriter David Wade recalled. “This album contains songs that David Allan Coe has lived during his later years of life. He wanted that to be part of his outlaw legacy.”
An accompanying music video for “A Million Reasons” is in the works and will be released separately in early November. However, Outlaw Country News will premiere a teaser of the music video the day before the album’s release on Instagram, giving fans a first look at the forthcoming production
The video draws from footage captured in 2015 when Coe returned to the Mansfield Reformatory in Ohio, the institution where he had been incarcerated as a young man. Among the footage is Coe visiting the cell where he had spent time decades earlier, confronting a place that had been part of his life long before he became one of country music’s most notorious outlaw figures.
The album also features a newly recorded version of Coe’s signature song “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” which premiered exclusively at Taste of Country, and was officially released on September 06, what would have been Coe’s 87th birthday. The song was originally released in 1975 and became Coe’s first Top 10 country hit, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard country chart, while also being ranked at No. 52 on SiriusXM Prime Country’s Top 100 Country Songs Of All Time, and No. 160 on Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Country Songs Of All Time.
Other highlights include a Johnny Cash tribute on “Corner of Cash and Coe,” a genre-blending tribute to the musicians who inspired him on “Free My Mind,” and two songs co-written by Kid Rock: “Single Father,” co-written with Coe, and “Only God Knows Why.” Another familiar favorite includes a southern-rock rendition of Coe’s own ‘Take This Job and Shove It,’ the working-class anthem he wrote and Johnny Paycheck famously took to No. 1 in 1978. That song ranked at No. 33 on SiriusXM’s Prime Country Top 100 Country Songs Of All Time and No. 56 on Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Country Songs Of All Time. Coe also previously recorded a country rap version of the song in 2017 with the Moonshine Bandits.
“A few years ago, I was able to acquire the master recordings from Average Joes Entertainment,” Madson continued.
“After David’s passing earlier this year, finishing what we started and sharing what has now become his final completed studio album has felt more important than ever.”
“The most amazing thing about this journey is how long it took to see it come to light. Over 11 years from the time we pitched “Corner of Cash and Coe” to DAC and Colt Ford until it came out. The real blessing is that people will get to hear some really cool stuff from David Allan Coe and hopefully this is a great musical bookend to his career.” Grove explained.
“I owe DAC a lot though. He was a controversial figure to many but he was always gracious and kind to me. Through him I found a friendship with Tanya Tucker and she recorded a couple of my songs. Not to mention the other artists that have opened their doors to me because of who David Allan Coe was to them. Almost like the “Jelly Of The Month Club”, David Allan Coe is the gift that keeps on giving.” Grove laughed.
“David Wade and I are proud to be part of this chapter in country music history and we hope that people go out and give this album a listen. There is something for everyone. The intro from Ric Flair is worth the price of admission alone! We encourage people to go pre save it wherever they listen to music so it is downloaded directly to them on Friday, October 16!” Grove added
The album arrives as a final musical statement from an artist whose career was defined by controversy, independence and an unwavering commitment to living outside the boundaries of convention.
A Million Reasons Track Listing & Songwriters:
1.Ric Flair Intro (Ric Flair)
2.“You Never Even Called Me By My Name” (Steve Goodman)
3.“A Million Reasons” (Jim “Moose” Brown, David Wade, Shane Grove, Erik Westfall)
4.“Take This Job and Shove It” (David Allan Coe)
5.“Roll Me A Smoke” (David Allan Coe)
6.“Corner of Cash and Coe” (Rick Troyer, Erik Westfall, Shane Grove, David Wade)
7.“Free My Mind” (David Allan Coe)
8.“Only God Knows Why” (John Travis, Matt Shaffer, Robert Ritchie)
9.“Single Father” (Robert Ritchie, David Allan Coe)
10.“No Holes in These Hands” (David Wade, Gary Edwards, Rick Troyer, David Allan Coe)
11 A Million Reasons (Acoustic) (Jim “Moose” Brown, David Wade, Shane Grove, Erik Westfall)
About David Allan Coe:
David Allan Coe was an American singer-songwriter whose career spanned more than five decades and whose music became closely associated with the outlaw country movement of the 1970s. Born in Akron, Ohio, Coe began releasing music in the early 1970s, establishing himself as both a recording artist and songwriter. His debut album, Penitentiary Blues, was released in 1970.
As a songwriter, Coe wrote songs recorded by numerous country artists, including Tanya Tucker’s No. 1 country hit “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)” and Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It.” As a recording artist, Coe became best known for songs including “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” “Longhaired Redneck,” “The Ride” and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile.”
Coe’s prolific recording career included dozens of studio albums, along with live recordings, collaborations and other releases. His 1975 album Once Upon a Rhyme featured “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” which became his first Top 10 country single, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard country chart.
Throughout his career, Coe maintained a distinctive identity outside Nashville’s traditional establishment and became a prominent figure in outlaw country. His songwriting and recordings earned him a lasting following among country music audiences and influenced generations of artists.
David Allan Coe died on April 29, 2026, at age 86.
Mansfield Reformatory filming music video (Photo: Shane Grove)