Dave Dudley
Encyclopedia
Dave Dudley 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
.
, Dudley had a short career as a semi-professional baseball player. 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. He first appeared on the Country charts in 1961 with "Maybe I Do," released by Vee Records. He later moved to Golden Ring Records.
.
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". 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.
, and he decided to try to appeal more to this market.
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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer best-known for his truck-driving country anthems of the 1960s and 1970s and his semi-slurred baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. His signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
was "Six Days on the Road
Six Days on the Road
"Six Days on the Road" is an American song written by Muscle Shoals Sound Studio songwriter Carl Montgomery and Earl Green, made originally famous by country music singer Dave Dudley...
," 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
Tom T. Hall
Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
, "Day Drinking," and his own Top 10 hit, "Fireball Rolled A Seven," supposedly based on the career and death of Edward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts
Fireball Roberts
Edward Glenn Roberts, Jr. , nicknamed "Fireball", was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:...
.
Early life and rise to fame
Born in Spencer, WisconsinSpencer, Wisconsin
Spencer is a village located in the northwestern part of the Town of Spencer in Marathon County, Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Dudley had a short career as a semi-professional baseball player. 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
National Recording Corporation
-Early years:National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records and performed on...
, 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. He first appeared on the Country charts in 1961 with "Maybe I Do," released by Vee Records. 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 discMusic recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
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
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
In 1963, Dudley moved on to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. By the end of 1963, he released his first single from the label, "Last Day in the Mines". 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
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by several artists, including George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
, The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
and Sawyer Brown
Sawyer Brown
Sawyer Brown is an American country music band founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by five members of country pop singer Don King's road band: Bobby Randall and Jim Scholten , both from Midland, Michigan; Joe Smyth , Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard , and Mark Miller...
.
Dudley continued to have success into the 1970s, while continuing to record for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. 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 EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and he decided to try to appeal more to this market.
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
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
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
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his home in Wisconsin.
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 Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
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 Six Days on the Road "Six Days on the Road" is an American song written by Muscle Shoals Sound Studio songwriter Carl Montgomery and Earl Green, made originally famous by country music singer Dave Dudley... "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 Somewhere |
|
| 1966 | "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 The Pool Shark (song) "The Pool Shark" is the title of a song written by Tom T. Hall and recorded by American country music artist Dave Dudley. It was released in February 1970 as the lead single from the album of the same name, The Pool Shark. The song was Dave Dudley's twenty-first release on the country chart and his... " |
1 | — | 4 | The Pool Shark |
| "This Night (Ain't Fit for Anything But Drinking)" | 20 | — | 22 | ||
| "Day Drinkin'" (w/ Tom T. Hall Tom T. Hall Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100... ) |
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 TracksHot Adult Contemporary TracksThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
).