Dave Dudley

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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.

Rooster Hill , 1976

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
US US Country CountryTemplate: chart table / maintenance / charts non-existent
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
US US Country Country
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
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

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 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
  2. ↑ 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
  3. ↑ 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
  4. ↑ 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