Dave Dudley was born with the name David Darwin Pedruska on May 3, 1928, in Spencer, Wis. He was raised in Stevens Point, Wis., and played on semi-pro baseball teams until an arm injury forced an end to his athletic career in 1950. Moving toward a career in country music, he became a radio disc jockey, working at stations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho and Minnesota and formed the Dave Dudley Trio in 1953. Dudley was sidelined for several months in 1960 after being struck by a car while loading equipment following a performance in Minneapolis.
himself as one of the most popular singers of his era.
In the summer of 1963, he had his breakthrough hit, "Six Days on the Road,"
which was released on Golden Wing. The song became a massive success,
peaking at number two on the country charts and making the pop Top 40.
That same year, he signed with Mercury Records, releasing his first single
for the label, "Last Day in the Mines," by the end of the year. Throughout the
'60s, he had a long string of truck driving singles, including "Truck Drivin'
Son-of-A-Gun," "Trucker's Prayer," "Anything Leaving Town Today, "There
Ain't No Easy Run," and "Two Six Packs Away." By the end of the decade,
he was also making conservative, good-old-boy anthems, as well.
During the early '70s, he had several hits -- notably the 1971 Top Ten
singles "Comin' Down" and "Fly Away Again" -- but by the beginning of the
'80s, he was no longer a presence on the charts. His last hit single was
1980's "Rolaids, Doan's Pills and Preparation H." During the '80s and '90s,
Dudley didn't record much, but he remained a popular concert draw. And
truck drivers still loved him -- the Teamsters Union awarded him an
honorary, solid gold membership card.Dave built up a popular following in Europe and continued performing until his unexpected passing at the age of 77 on December 22, 2003 of a massive heart attack in his home state of Wisconsin.
