Dave Dudley
Dave Dudley (born May 3, 1928 in Spencer , Wisconsin , as Darwin David Pedruska , † December 22, 2003 in Danbury , Wisconsin) was an American country musician . Dudley had in the 1960s and 1970s, more than 40 country hits, where the often privation life of the truck truck driver (Trucker) was portrayed in the far reaches of the US.
Life
Childhood and youth
Dudley's grandparents came from the East Prussian Königsberg in Germany. He himself grew up in Stevens Point. At the age of eleven he received a guitar from his grandfather and learned to play the chords . Dudley originally wanted to become a professional baseball player, but a torn hamstring in his right arm prevented this. In order to keep himself afloat financially, he took a job as a dock worker.
Beginnings
After finishing his night shift one morning, he went to visit a friend on a local radio station in Texas , but it didn't show up. Dudley discovered a guitar that he picked up and played on. The radio station's editor encouraged Dudley to try his hand at music. He took a job as a DJ and played with a band at local events.
In the early 1950s, Dudley moved to Idaho , where he founded the Dave Dudley Trio . He quickly relocated his base to Minneapolis , Minnesota , where he played with his band in the area, was regularly heard on WCOW and got an engagement in the "Gay 90's Club". Meanwhile, Dudley and his band played rockabilly , a synthesis of country and rhythm and blues that belongs to rock 'n' roll . Even so, Dudley's country roots were still clearly audible. In 1955 he made his first recordings for the Cincinnati- based King Records label . The three singles, including the rockabilly record Rock and Roll Nursery Rhyme / I Guess You Know You're Right , were not granted any particular success. In 1958 a second record followed on Starday Records and in 1959 one on the NRC label from Atlanta . In 1960 the trio broke up and Dudley founded the Country Gentlemen .
successes
With Maybe I Do , recorded for Vee Records in 1961, Dudley achieved a chart success for the first time - the single went into the top 40 and reached number 28. The following year he had another small hit with Under Cover of the Night , which was on Landed 18th. In the same year Dudley got a demo with the song Six Days on the Road from Jimmy C. Newman ; After Dudley hesitated a little, he decided to record the song. Since he was without a record deal at that time, he quickly founded his own record label Golden Wing Records and released Six Days on the Road in the spring of 1963 with I Feel a Cry Coming On on the B-side. Dudley's success came unexpectedly when the single advanced to number two on the country charts and also made it to number 32 on the pop charts. Another hit followed with Cowboy Boots (# 3), and in late 1963 Dudley moved to major label Mercury Records .
Dudley's first single, Last Day In the Mines , reached the top ten on the country charts again (# 7). Throughout the 1960s, Dudley was able to enjoy other hits such as Truck Driving Son of a Gun (# 3), What We're Fighting For (# 4) Trucker's Prayer (# 23), Anything Leaving Town Today (# 12), There Ain 't No Easy Run (# 10) or Two Six Packs Away . In 1970 he reached the top of the country charts with the title Pool Shark, written by Tom T. Hall . Dudley had developed a new country style that was shaped by hard honky tonk and rock influences. The texts often described the hard and lonely life of truckers, which is why this style is also called Trucker Country , which rubbed off on the German country scene in particular. Other stars like Red Sovine quickly jumped on this trend.
Dudley's biggest hit was The Pool Shark in 1970 , which also remained his first and only number one hit. Despite a few other hits in the early 1970s such as Comin 'Down and Fly Away Again , it had already passed its zenith. In 1973 he switched to United Artists . From the end of the 1970s Dudley was no longer represented in the charts; He had his last chart placement in 1980 with Rolaid Dean's Pills and Preparation H (# 77) for Sun Records . However, Dudley's concerts continued to be very popular and unexpectedly came to fame in Germany in 1978 when the German country band Truck Stop had a hit with the song I would like to hear Dave Dudley . Dave Dudley produced his last three CD albums in collaboration with the Cologne music producer Walther Kahl and his production SEYCHELLES MUSIC: "More Dudley" (1987); "Silver Album" (1989) and "Im Stau" (1991). All three albums and a previously unreleased instrumental production of his album "Im Stau" (NASHVILLE TRUCKERS) were re-mastered in spring 2020 and released digitally on the SOUNDS like FUN label.
Dave Dudley died of a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 75 in Danbury, Wisconsin, USA.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
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1963 | Dave Dudley Sings Six Days on the Road | - |
Country16 (2 weeks) Country |
|
1964 | Songs About the Working Man | - |
Country19 (3 weeks) Country |
|
Travelin 'with Dave Dudley | - |
Country8 (25 weeks) Country |
||
Talk of the Town | - |
Country16 (8 weeks) Country |
||
1965 | Truck Drivin 'Son-of-a-Gun | - |
Country3 (13 weeks) Country |
|
1966 | There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere | - |
Country12 (11 weeks) Country |
|
Lonelyville | - |
Country6 (16 weeks) Country |
||
Free and Easy | - |
Country10 (19 weeks) Country |
||
1967 | Dave Dudley Country | - |
Country29 (15 weeks) Country |
|
1968 | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | - |
Country39 (2 weeks) Country |
|
Thanks for All the Miles | - |
Country39 (6 weeks) Country |
||
1969 | One more mile | - |
Country15 (11 weeks) Country |
|
1970 | The Best of Dave Dudley | - |
Country32 (7 weeks) Country |
|
The Pool Shark | - |
Country16 (10 weeks) Country |
||
1971 | Dave Dudley Sings Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song) | - |
Country32 (6 weeks) Country |
|
Will the Real Dave Dudley Please Sing | - |
Country27 (4 weeks) Country |
||
1972 | The Original Traveling Man | - |
Country18 (12 weeks) Country |
|
1973 | Keep On Truckin ' | - |
Country22 (8 weeks) Country |
|
1975 | Uncommonly Good Country | - |
Country13 (15 weeks) Country |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
more publishments
- 1965: Rural Route No. 1
- 1965: Greatest Hits
- 1967: My Kind of Love
- 1969: George (And the North Woods)
- 1975: Special Delivery
- 1976: 1776
- 1976: Presents
- 1977: Chrome and Polish
- 1978: On the Road Again
- 1980: Interstate Gold
- 1980: Diesel Duets (with Charlie Douglas)
- 1981: King of the Road
- 1982: Trucker's Christmas
- 1983: 20 Great Truck Driver Favorites
- 1984: Nashville Rodeo Saloon
- 1985: Truck Drivin 'Man
- 1987: More Dudley (remastered in 2020)
- 1989: Silver Album (remastered in 2020)
- 1991: Im Stau (remastered in 2020)
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
![]() |
|||
1961 | Maybe I Do |
- |
Country28 (2 weeks) Country |
|
1962 | Under Cover of the Night |
- |
Country18 (9 weeks) Country |
|
1963 | Six Days on the Road Dave Dudley Sings Six Days on the Road |
US32 (11 weeks) US |
Country2 (21 weeks) Country |
|
Cowboy Boots Songs About the Working Man |
US95 (1 week) US |
Country3 (20 weeks) Country |
||
1964 | Last Day in the Mines Songs About the Working Man |
- |
Country7 (16 weeks) Country |
|
Mad Talk of the Town |
- |
Country6 (17 weeks) Country |
||
1965 | Two Six Packs Away Truck Drivin 'Son-of-a-Gun |
- |
Country15 (17 weeks) Country |
|
Truck Drivin 'Son-of-a-Gun Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun |
- |
Country3 (21 weeks) Country |
||
What We're Fighting For There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere |
- |
Country4 (16 weeks) Country |
||
1966 | Viet Nam Blues There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere |
- |
Country12 (12 weeks) Country |
|
Lonelyville Lonelyville |
- |
Country13 (14 weeks) Country |
||
Long Time Gone Free and Easy |
- |
Country15 (12 weeks) Country |
||
1967 | My Kind of Love My Kind of Love |
- |
Country12 (15 weeks) Country |
|
Trucker's Prayer Dave Dudley Country |
- |
Country23 (14 weeks) Country |
||
Anything Leaving Town Today Greatest Hits Vol. 2 |
- |
Country12 (16 weeks) Country |
||
1968 | There Ain't No Easy Run Thanks for All the Miles |
- |
Country10 (13 weeks) Country |
|
I Keep Coming Back for More Thanks for All the Miles |
- |
Country14 (11 weeks) Country |
||
Please Let Me Prove (My Love for You) One More Mile |
- |
Country10 (16 weeks) Country |
||
1969 | One More Mile One More Mile |
- |
Country12 (15 weeks) Country |
|
George (And the North Woods) George (And the North Woods) |
- |
Country10 (13 weeks) Country |
||
1970 | The Pool Shark The Pool Shark |
- |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
This Night (Ain't Fit for Anything But Drinking) The Pool Shark |
- |
Country20 (12 weeks) Country |
||
Day drinkin ' |
- |
Country23 (13 weeks) Country |
with Tom T. Hall
|
|
1971 | Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song) Dave Dudley Sings Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song) |
- |
Country15 (13 weeks) Country |
|
Comin 'Down Dave Dudley Sings Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song) |
- |
Country8 (14 weeks) Country |
||
Fly Away Again Will the Real Dave Dudley Please Sing |
- |
Country8 (15 weeks) Country |
||
1972 | If It Feels Good Do It The Original Traveling Man |
- |
Country14 (14 weeks) Country |
|
You've Gotta Cry Girl The Original Traveling Man |
- |
Country12 (16 weeks) Country |
||
We know it's over |
- |
Country40 (10 weeks) Country |
with Karen O'Donnal
|
|
1973 | Keep On Truckin ' Keep On Truckin' |
- |
Country19 (12 weeks) Country |
|
It takes time |
- |
Country37 (9 weeks) Country |
||
Rollin 'Rig Special Delivery |
- |
Country47 (12 weeks) Country |
||
1974 | Have It Your Way Special Delivery |
- |
Country67 (7 weeks) Country |
|
Counterfeit Cowboy Special Delivery |
- |
Country61 (9 weeks) Country |
||
1975 | How Come It Took So Long (To Say Goodbye) Special Delivery |
- |
Country74 (10 weeks) Country |
|
Fireball Rolled a Seven Special Delivery |
- |
Country21 (12 weeks) Country |
||
Me and Ole CB Uncommonly Good Country |
- |
Country12 (15 weeks) Country |
||
1976 | Sentimental Journey Special Delivery |
- |
Country47 (8 weeks) Country |
|
38 and Lonely Presents |
- |
Country83 (5 weeks) Country |
||
1978 | One AM Alone On the Road Again |
- |
Country95 (3 weeks) Country |
|
1980 | Rolaids, Doan's Pills and Preparation H King of the Road |
- |
Country77 (5 weeks) Country |
more publishments
- 1955: Cry Baby Cry
- 1956: Ink Dries Quicker Than Tears
- 1956: Rock and Roll Nursery Rhyme
- 1959: I Just Want to Be Your Friend
- 1960: It's Gotta Be That Way
- 1975: Wave at 'Em Billy Boy
- 1976: 1776
- 1976: Rooster Hill
- 1977: Just Memories
- 1977: Devils in Heaven Bound Machines
- 1977: Rollin 'On (We Gone)
- 1978: Wayward Wind
- 1979: Moonlight in Vermont
- 1980: Last Run
- 1980: Big Fanny
- 1980: Driver
- 1981: Eagle
- 1981: I Thu
- 1981: I Was Country Before Barbara Mandrell
- 1983: I Wish I Had a Nickel
- 2020: Sunday here in Germany (remastered version)
Trivia
In 1977 the single I would like to hear Dave Dudley by the German country band Truck Stop was released .
Web links
- Sound carrier by Dave Dudley in the catalog of the German National Library
- Entry on Allmusic
- Dave Dudley on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
- Dave Dudley in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Discography with audio samples (only rockabilly)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The positions in the country charts according to Whitburn, Joel: The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits. 1944-2006 . 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Billboard Books, 2006, pp. 111f
- ↑ Only the two singles Six Days On The Road (US catalog number: Golden Wing 3020) and Cowboy Boots (US catalog number: Golden Ring 3030) were able to place themselves in the pop charts in the course of Dudley's career. See Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Ltd., 1994, p. 182
- ↑ For more information on the title, see Roland, Tom: The Billboard Book Of Number One Country Hits . New York City / New York: Billboard Books; London: Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1991, pp. 38f
- ↑ a b Chart sources: US
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Dudley, Dave |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Pedruska, Darwin David (maiden name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
DATE OF BIRTH | May 3, 1928 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Spencer , Wisconsin , United States |
DATE OF DEATH | December 22, 2003 |
Place of death | Danbury , Wisconsin , United States |