- Dave Dudley
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Dave Dudley Background information Birth name David Darwin Pedruska Born May 3, 1928 Origin Spencer, Wisconsin, United States Died December 22, 2003 (aged 75)Genres Country music Occupations Singer Years active 1961–2003 Labels Golden Wing Records, Mercury Records Associated acts Dick Curless, Del Reeves, Tom T. Hall, Red Simpson Dave Dudley (May 3, 1928–December 22, 2003), born David Darwin Pedruska, was an American country music singer best-known for his truck-driving country anthems of the 1960s and 1970s and his semi-slurred baritone. His signature song was "Six Days on the Road," and he is also remembered for "Vietnam Blues," "Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun," and "Me and ol' C.B.". Other recordings included Dudley's duet with Tom T. Hall, "Day Drinking," and his own Top 10 hit, "Fireball Rolled A Seven," supposedly based on the career and death of Edward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts.
Contents
Biography
Early life and rise to fame
Born in Spencer, Wisconsin, Dudley had a short career as a semi-professional baseball player.[citation needed] After he suffered an arm injury, he was no longer able to play baseball. He then decided to pursue a career in country music. He was one of the earliest artists to record for the National Recording Corporation, with "Where's There's A Will" (1959).
Dudley was injured once again in 1960, this time in a car accident, setting back his career in music.[citation needed] He first appeared on the Country charts in 1961 with "Maybe I Do," released by Vee Records.[citation needed] He later moved to Golden Ring Records.
Height of his career
In 1963, "Six Days on the Road" became a hit for Dudley. The song was written by Earl Green and Peanut Montgomery. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[1]
In the original version of the song as recorded by Dudley the lyrics include the words "...I'm taking little white pills and my eyes are open wide..." a reference to the stimulants some truckers used to keep driving (and make their delivery times) when they needed sleep. Some remakes of the song replace these words with a reference to looking at the white lines on the road. Dudley can be heard and seen singing the correct original lyrics in a 1971 performance currently available at YouTube.
In 1963, Dudley moved on to Mercury Records. By the end of 1963, he released his first single from the label, "Last Day in the Mines".[citation needed] Dudley scored more big hits in the 1960s, including "Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun", "Trucker's Prayer" and "Anything Leaving Town Today". "Six Days on the Road" has been covered by several artists, including George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Steve Earle, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Sawyer Brown.
Dudley continued to have success into the 1970s, while continuing to record for Mercury Records. He had some Country Top 10s in the 1970s, including "Comin' Down" and "Fly Away Again." By the late 1970s, his success on the charts was beginning to fade, although Dudley amassed thirty-three Top 40 Country hits.
Decline and death
In the 1980s, Dudley continued to record sporadically, and remained popular in concert. During this time, he was elected to the 'Nashville Teamsters Truck Drivers Union', receiving a solid gold membership card from the union. During this time, he also found out that he had a big fan base in Europe, and he decided to try to appeal more to this market.[citation needed]
In total, Dudley recorded more than 70 albums. However, he did not manage to reclaim his past success, and neither his single "Where's that Truck?", recorded with disc jockey Charlie Douglas, nor the track "Dave Dudley, American Trucker", recorded in 2002 in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, helped revive his career. Few of his hits have made it onto CDs and albums, creating a market for his vintage vinyl recordings.
Dudley died on December 22, 2003, aged 75, after suffering a heart attack at his home in Wisconsin.
Discography
Albums
Year Album US Country Label 1963 Dave Dudley Sings Six Days on the Road 16 Golden Wing 1964 Songs About the Working Man 19 Mercury Travelin' with Dave Dudley 8 Talk of the Town 16 1965 Rural Route No. 1 — Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun 3 Greatest Hits — 1966 There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere 12 Lonelyville 6 Free and Easy 10 1967 My Kind of Love — Dave Dudley Country 29 1968 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 39 Thanks for All the Miles 39 1969 One More Mile 15 George (And the North Woods) — 1970 The Best of Dave Dudley 32 The Pool Shark 16 1971 Dave Dudley Sings Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song) 32 Will the Real Dave Dudley Please Sing 27 1972 The Original Traveling Man 18 1973 Keep On Truckin' 22 1975 Special Delivery — United Artists Uncommonly Good Country 13 1976 1776 — Presents — 1977 Chrome and Polish — Rice 1978 On the Road Again — 1980 Interstate Gold — Sun Diesel Duets (w/ Charlie Douglas) — 1981 King of the Road — 1982 Trucker's Christmas — Cetera 1983 20 Great Truck Driver Favorites — Plantation 1984 Nashville Rodeo Saloon — Bellaphon 1985 Truck Drivin' Man — Singles
Year Single Chart Positions Album US Country US CAN Country 1955 "Cry Baby Cry" — — singles only 1956 "Ink Dries Quicker Than Tears" — — "Rock and Roll Nursery Rhyme" — — 1959 "I Just Want to Be Your Friend" — — 1960 "It's Gotta Be That Way" — — 1961 "Maybe I Do" 28 — 1962 "Under Cover of the Night" 18 — 1963 "Six Days on the Road"A 2 32 Songs About the Working Man "Cowboy Boots" 3 95 1964 "Last Day in the Mines" 7 125 "Mad" 6 — — Talk of the Town 1965 "Two Six Packs Away" 15 — — Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun "Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun" 3 125 — "What We're Fighting For" 4 — — There's a Star-Spangled Banner
Waving Somewhere1966 "Viet Nam Blues" 12 127 — "Lonelyville" 13 — — Lonelyville "Long Time Gone" 15 — — Free and Easy 1967 "My Kind of Love" 12 — — My Kind of Love "Trucker's Prayer" 23 — — Dave Dudley Country "Anything Leaving Town Today" 12 — — Greatest Hits Vol. 2 1968 "There Ain't No Easy Run" 10 — 5 Thanks for All the Miles "I Keep Coming Back for More" 14 — 6 "Please Let Me Prove (My Love for You)" 10 — 6 One More Mile 1969 "One More Mile" 12 — — "George (And the North Woods)" 10 — 4 George (And the North Woods) 1970 "The Pool Shark" 1 — 4 The Pool Shark "This Night (Ain't Fit for Anything But Drinking)" 20 — 22 "Day Drinkin'" (w/ Tom T. Hall) 23 — 20 single only 1971 "Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song)" 15 — 5 Dave Dudley Sings Listen Betty
(I'm Singing Your Song)"Comin' Down" 8 — 17 "Fly Away Again" 8 — 5 Will the Real Dave Dudley Please Sing 1972 "If It Feels Good Do It" 14 — 26 The Original Travelling Man "You've Gotta Cry Girl" 12 — 14 "We Know It's Over" (w/ Karen O'Donnal) 40 — — single only 1973 "Keep On Truckin'" 19 — 10 Keep On Truckin' "It Takes Time" 37 — 27 single only "Rollin' Rig" 47 — — Special Delivery 1974 "Have It Your Way" 67 — — "Counterfeit Cowboy" 61 — — 1975 "How Come It Took So Long (To Say Goodbye)" 74 — — "Fireball Rolled a Seven" 21 — 24 "Wave at 'Em Billy Boy" — — — Uncommonly Good Country "Me and Ole C.B." 12 — 8 1976 "Sentimental Journey" 47 — — "1776" — — — 1776 "38 and Lonely" 83 — — Presents "Rooster Hill" — — — 1977 "Just Memories" — — — single only "Devils in Heaven Bound Machines" — — — Chrome and Polish "Rollin' On (We Gone)" — — — 1978 "One A.M. Alone" 95 — — On the Road Again "Wayward Wind" — — — singles only 1979 "Moonlight in Vermont" — — — 1980 "Last Run" — — — Interstate Gold "Big Fanny" — — — Diesel Duets "Rolaids, Doan's Pills and Preparation H" 77 — — King of the Road "Driver" — — — 1981 "Eagle" — — — "I Do" — — — singles only "I Was Country Before Barbara Mandrell" — — — 1983 "I Wish I Had a Nickel" — — — Nashville Rodeo Saloon - APeaked at #13 on Easy Listening (now Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks).
References
Other sources
- Country Music: The Rough Guide; Wolff, Kurt; Penguin Publishing
External links
Categories:- 1928 births
- 2003 deaths
- Musicians from Wisconsin
- Deaths from myocardial infarction
- American country singers
- National Recording Corporation artists
- Jubilee Records artists
- Starday Records artists
- Mercury Records artists
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