David Allan Coe returned Friday to the scene of the crime, or at least where he wound up for committing crimes.
Before he became a prominent songwriter — known for "Take This Job and Shove It" — and outlaw country music singer, Coe served two stints at the Ohio State Reformatory.
Coe was back at OSR for a video shoot with the Moonshine Bandits, a country-rap duo out of California. They have recorded a cover of "Take This Job and Shove It," featuring Coe on the chorus and one verse.
Now 77, Coe was in and out of trouble from an early age. He said he was first institutionalized at 9 and served his stints at OSR as a young man.
While some of those memories are painful, Coe is able to make light of some of them.
"I had all my teeth knocked out by the guards with their sticks," he said. "They (medical staff) did an impression to make false teeth."
There was a problem — Coe was released from prison before his teeth were ready.
"I had to come back as a free man to get my false teeth," he said with a hint of indignation.
Coe said he actually didn't mind his time at the Reformatory. He was in an inmate band and focused on music.
His first album, "Penitentiary Blues," consisted of songs he wrote while at OSR.
Dressed in all black with his blond and gray hair cascading down his back, Coe was OK with coming back to the Reformatory for the Moonshine Bandits, who count him as one of their main influences.
"I'm here because my wife told me to come," Coe said of Miss Kim, whom he married in 2010. "A couple of crazy guys that like my music decided to put together something."
The video could be a way to introduce Coe's music to another generation.
"Musically, I think I have advanced with the times," he said. "I've been in the music business for over 40 years and still make my living off it. I must be doing something right."
The Moonshine Bandits, consisting of Tex and Bird, revere Coe. Tex said there are only three people he wanted to sing with — Johnny Cash, Tupac and Coe — and two of them are dead.
Bird, who sports a jet-black Mohawk, said he was honored to perform with Coe, whom he calls a true living legend.
Tex and Bird also came away impressed with the Reformatory. Parts of the video were shot in the old chapel, which could accommodate all 1,900 inmates at one time.
"The inmates were required to go to church," OSR marketing director Dan Smith said.
The chapel has not been restored. It was quite chilly Friday as a wayward hawk flew overhead.
"What a location," Bird said of the old prison. "It can't get much better than this. There's so much history in the building."
A little too much for Tex.
"It's creepy as hell," he said. "I went into a cell and almost threw up because of the smell."
The Moonshine Bandits were scheduled to play a show at Dillinger's in Bucyrus on Friday night.
Bird and Tex object to the terms country-rap and hick-hop. "We're blue-collar music with a rebel spirit," Tex said.
They have developed a devoted following called the Shiner Nation.
"They are really loyal," Tex said. "A guy's got Shiner Nation tattooed on his forehead."
Though rowdy, the fans tend to be well-behaved at shows.
"Our fans drink a lot, but there's hardly any fights," Bird said. "When they're around each other, they lift each other up."
The California duo has been around since 1999. "Baptized in Bourbon," their seventh album, is scheduled for release in March 2017.
"It's our first time where we truly become songwriters and artists," Tex said. "I feel it's by far our best album."
Their last album peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard rap chart and No. 13 on the country chart.
"And that's with no radio or TV," Tex said.
The Moonshine Bandits are hoping to get a boost from the video, which should also benefit the Reformatory.
"This is the biggest video we've had here since Lil Wayne," Smith said. "We're really happy to do something like this. It's a great promotional venue for us."
