Husky-voiced country crooner Dave Dudley (1928-2003) is frequently typecast as a one-trick pony, one of the many singers who specialized in "trucker" songs during the '60s and '70s, when the style was at its peak. Originally from Wisconsin, Dudley started recording in the late 1950s, plugging away for years until he scored a huge hit with his 1963 single, "Six Days On The Road," a major classic of the trucker genre. Dudley had stylistic breadth beyond that, though, singing heart songs and boozin' tunes as well as a bunch of historically-themed novelty songs and patriotic anthems. Here's a quick look at his work...

Dave Dudley "The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Dave Dudley" (MCA/Universal, 2002)
This short, too-compact collection demonstrates Dudley's thematic breadth (even if musically he stuck to the same basic "thwack-a-thwack" rhythmic tricks that made his work distinctive...) This 12-song CD, drawn from Dudley's Mercury years, includes tragedy ballads ("Last Day In The Mines"), gambling songs ("Pool Shark") and patriotic numbers ("What We're Fighting For"), as well as a bunch of goofy novelty tunes like "Cowboy Hat," which pokes fun at the trendier side of the country music scene. The version of "Six Days" that appears on this CD isn't the original radio hit, but it's still pretty darn good, as are the other songs on here. Dudley's best work has been out of print for decades; it's really nice to hear at least a few songs back on the stereo again!

Dave Dudley "Trucker Classics" (Sun Records, 1996)
Re-recorded versions, but still totally Dudley-icious...

Dave Dudley "Hits" (Music Mill, 1999)

Dave Dudley "Christmas Truck Stop" (Music Mill, 2000)
A holiday album, originally released in 1982...

Dave Dudley "American Trucker" (Music Mill, 2001)

Dave Dudley "Truck Drivin' Son Of A Gun -- The Mercury Hit Singles: 1963-1973" (Edsel Records, 2004)

Various Artists "MIDNIGHT IN MINNEAPOLIS" (Golden Wing Records, 1962) (LP)
A sampling of obscure regional artists from the Twin Cities and surrounding states... The best-known, obviously, is barroom baritone Dave Dudley who had migrated from his home in Wisconsin to seek the bright lights of Minneapolis, but hadn't yet broken through nationally. Dudley is listed as the A&R coordinator for this LP, and without question he was the label's greatest success -- his original recording of "Six Days On The Road" came out of the label the following year, skyrocketing Dudley to international fame. The other artists remain far less famous, though several also released singles for Golden Wing. The roster included local disc jockey Ralph Berebeau, singers Betty Lee, Johnny Long, Barbara Lee Mac and Paul Nelson, piano plunker Woody Sorenson, Dick Van Hale and hotshot picker John Voit, who apparently backed most of these singers on this album. It's conceivable guitarist John Voit may have been the actor Jon Voight, but I don't think so... Voight was establishing himself in New York around this time; also notable is Dick Van Hale, who led the house band at the Flame Cafe, a well-known Minnesota folk and country venue.

Dave Dudley "Dave Dudley Sings Six Days On The Road" (Golden Wing Records, 1963)

Dave Dudley "Songs About The Working Man" (Mercury Records, 1964)

Dave Dudley "Travelin' With Dave Dudley" (Mercury Records, 1964)

Dave Dudley "Talk Of The Town" (Mercury Records, 1964)

Dave Dudley "Rural Route No. 1" (Mercury Records, 1965)

Dave Dudley "Truck Drivin' Son-Of-A-Gun" (Mercury Records, 1965)

Dave Dudley "Greatest Hits" (Mercury Records, 1965)

Dave Dudley "There's A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" (Mercury Records, 1966)

Dave Dudley "Lonelyville" (Mercury Records, 1966)

Dave Dudley "Free And Easy" (Mercury Records, 1966)

Dave Dudley "My Kind Of Love" (Mercury Records, 1967)

Dave Dudley "Dave Dudley Country" (Mercury Records, 1967)

Dave Dudley "Greatest Hits, v.2" (Mercury Records, 1968)

Dave Dudley "Thanks For All The Miles" (Mercury Records, 1968)

Dave Dudley "One More Mile" (Mercury Records, 1969)

Dave Dudley "George (And The North Woods)" (Mercury Records, 1969)

Dave Dudley "The Best Of Dave Dudley" (Mercury Records, 1970)

Dave Dudley "The Pool Shark" (Mercury Records, 1970)

Dave Dudley "Dave Dudley Sings Listen Betty (I'm Singing Your Song)" (Mercury Records, 1971)

Dave Dudley "Will The Real Dave Dudley Please Sing" (Mercury Records, 1971)

Dave Dudley "The Original Traveling Man" (Mercury Records, 1972)

Dave Dudley "Keep On Truckin' " (Mercury Records, 1973)

Dave Dudley "Special Delivery" (United Artists Records, 1975)

Dave Dudley "Uncommonly Good Country" (United Artists Records, 1975)

Dave Dudley "1776" (United Artists, Records 1976)

Dave Dudley "Presents" (United Artists Records, 1975)

Dave Dudley "Chrome And Polish" (Rice Records, 1977)

Dave Dudley "On The Road Again" (Rice Records, 1978)

Dave Dudley "Interstate Gold" (Sun Records, 1980)

Dave Dudley & Charlie Douglas "Diesel Duets" (Sun Records, 1980)

Dave Dudley "King Of The Road" (Sun Records, 1981)

Dave Dudley "Trucker's Christmas" (Cetera Records, 1982)

Dave Dudley "Nashville Rodeo Saloon" (Bellaphon Records, 1984)

Dave Dudley "Truck Drivin' Man" (Bellaphon Records, 1985)

Dave Dudley "Country Best" (Bulldog Records, 1988) (LP)

(Produced by Gene Breeden)

Dave Dudley "Truck Drivin' Son Of A Gun" (Country Harvest, 1991)
Later recordings, with Dudley backed by the Country Gentlemen bluegrass band.

Hick Music Index