Who Are David Allan Coe’s Children?

When David Allan Coe died this spring, he left behind a complex family story and a personal legacy where fact, rumor and exaggeration often intertwine.

How Many Kids Did David Allan Coe Have?

The singer was married six times and had eight biological children, many of whom rarely or never saw him growing up. This summer, several of those children filed claims against the singer’s estate for “long-overdue” and “unpaid” family and child support. That statement also extends a hand to anyone else in the music industry who might be owed money by the late Coe.

The singer’s family tree is complicated: The identities of his wives aren’t all widely known, and stepchildren are in the mix, too.

Read More: David Allan Coe’s Kids Seeking ‘Long Overdue’ Family Support After His Death

But below, we’re painting a picture as best we can of the singer’s biological children, as listed in court documents and named in a brief family tree established by daughter Tanya Montana on Facebook.

Did David Allan Coe Have Stepchildren Or Adopted Children?

Yes. Not all of them are mentioned here.

In her post laying out a family tree, Tanya made special mention of Debra Ann, the oldest of the Coe crew. She and Coe aren’t biologically related, but he “raised her and legally changed her last name to his,” Tanya says.

“We don’t share the same blood but we are SISTERS and she is my dad’s DAUGHTER!” Tanya wrote.

Who Are David Allan Coe’s Biological Children?

A document filed on June 9 at Ohio’s Hamilton County Probate Office lists eight biological sons and daughters as Coe’s surviving next of kin. It also lists Kimberly Hastings Coe, the singer’s wife. Debra is not included on this document.

They are as follows:

Dustin Coe: Listed as Coe’s son in the document, though a second next of kin list filed on June 26 omits him. No public information is readily available about Dustin, and he’s not mentioned in Tanya’s Facebook post. His listed residence address is the same as Coe’s wife, Kimberly.

Carla Dawn Coe: David Allan Coe’s oldest biological child is listed in the document under her legal name, Carla Dawn Weightman. She was born from Coe’s marriage to his first wife, Betty. In a July Facebook post, Carla said that she loved her dad, but they had very limited contact while she was growing up, and the last time she saw him was in 2013.

Carla is also a singer, and performed at Coe’s theater in 1989.

Shelli Coe Macklie: Born from David Allan Coe’s marriage to his second wife, Debbie. Her Facebook profile lists her as a retired singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas.

Tyler Mahan Coe: Perhaps the best known of the Coe children, Tyler Mahan was born from Coe’s fourth marriage, to Jody. He is the host of the “Cocaine & Rhinestones” podcast and a well-known presence in Nashville. Tyler is also among the Coe kids who spoke out most publicly after Coe’s death, describing his dad as “a difficult person to be close with, a difficult person to care about for several reasons … but I did always care about him.”

Tanya Montana Coe: Another child born from Coe’s marriage to Jody, she is a singer-songwriter and is vocal on social media about her dad’s complicated legacy. After the country legend died, she stated that she was not given the opportunity to say goodbye, describing the experience as “a hell I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”

Shyanne Coe Riddle: Coe and Jody’s third child together. Not much information is known about her, and she seems to live a relatively private life.

Carson Gray: Coe and Jody’s fourth child together. Carson also lives outside the spotlight.

Josh Pruitt: Pruitt was listed as the final name on the court documents filed June 9, but omitted from the second list filed June 26. Tanya describes Josh as “our recently discovered brother sharing the same father.” Josh’s Facebook page also describes him as the “Unknown Coe Son.” It does not seem that he was given the opportunity to have any relationship with his father growing up.

Why Did David Allan Coe Leave His Kids Out Of His Will?

Taste of Country has viewed David Allan Coe’s publicly-available last will and testament, which he signed on Nov. 25, 2025. It reads, “I have intentionally not provided for my children or their heirs in this Last Will & Testament, and their omission is not the result of accident or oversight.” 

Per a social media statement from Tanya, Coe left “everything” to his wife, Kimberly.

It’s unclear exactly why Coe elected not to include his children in his will. Several of his kids have described having relationships with their dad that were sometimes loving, sometimes tumultuous, and often nonexistent. Some have also implied, to varying degrees, that Coe’s wife, Kimberly, could have stood between the singer and his family relationships.

Taste of Country has reached out to Kimberly Hastings Coe, who was married to Coe for 16 years at the time of his death; she has not responded at the time of publishing.