Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City.
He played on numerous other hit records of the era: Edwin Starr's "War", Diana Ross & The Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together", and Freda Payne's "Band of Gold".
While at Sussex Records Coffey arranged and produced along with Mike Theodore the million selling "Nice To Be With You" by the group Gallery.
Four tracks were recorded featuring some of the Funk Brothers including Uriel Jones, Bob Babbitt, Coffey and Ray Monette, plus other distinguished Detroit session musicians.
His performances at the Legendary Morey Baker's Keyboard Lounge and other venues included notables; Steve Adams, Drew Schultz, Danny Tyrell and others.
In 2012, Coffey was interviewed on the PBS program History Detectives, about the authenticity of an old Ampeg B-15 amplifier with the stenciled name of fellow Funk Brothers member bassist James Jamerson.
Dennis Coffey was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame as a member of the Funk Brothers in 2010 and as a solo artist in 2018.