In a 1983 Associated Press interview, he explained that music had helped him survive his years in prison because nobody could take the songs away from him.
Even when he was isolated, he said, he could still create music in his head.
That idea became central to understanding Coe.
He had lived through difficult circumstances, but he turned those experiences into a musical identity.
When he eventually emerged from prison, he headed toward Nashville.
He was not arriving as a polished country star.
He was arriving as an outsider.
And that was exactly where his career would begin.
## The Man Who Wanted to Be Different
Nashville already had its own traditions and expectations.
Coe did not seem particularly interested in following them.
He developed a visual identity that was impossible to overlook.
Long hair.
Tattoos.
Rhinestone clothing.
A mysterious stage persona.
And, at various points, even a mask.
He became known as the “Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy,” a nickname associated with the image he created for himself.
