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DAVE DUDLEY

“Six Days on the Road”

(Earl Green, Carl Montgomery)

Golden Wing 3020

No. 32    August 3, 1963

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With a voice in the basement, a chugga-chugga rhythm and tales of trains, trucks, tramps and drinking,

Davie Dudley for a few good miles was hard to beat.   Most of the folk on the pop radio wave-length, of

course, never heard much of Dave, other than this big moment, but farmers, waitresses, some rockabilly

fans; and, oh, truckers.

Dudley was born to a farm family in Spencer, Wisconsin, May 3, 1929.   He loved baseball and might of

become a big name speedball pitcher if not for an arm injury when 22.   Recuperating, Dave stopped in on

an old buddy at radio WTWT.   C&W record-rider Vern Sheppard was the dee-jay on duty.   Dud picked up a

guitar that was laying about an started strummin’ and singin’ along with the disks.   The station boss over

heard Dud and suggested that he practice up a might and come back in the morn and do a program for

them.   Dave did and the response was positive.   Gigs at other stations followed and with things looking

quite bright he put together the Dudley Trio to play drinkin’ establishments, watering holes and bars.

While leaving one of these, the Flame, in Minneapolis on December 3, 1960, Dave was hit by a car.

Hospitalized for six months and laid up for an equal amount of time, Dave had plenty of time to mull his

future.   He decided the route to further his career was to again cut some sides.  Dud was no quitter.

Despite strike outs with disks on King, NRC, Starday, Vee and Jubilee, Dave was determine.   He must have

figured that there was something special about this tune a guy at Decca Records had shown him. “Six Days

on the Road” was the tune.   Soon as able he bought some local studio time and edged it in vinyl.   Dud took

the dub to Jim Madison, a friend and juke box supplier. Madison got “Six Days” placed with Soma’s

subsidiary Golden Wing and the one-time baseball star for the Gainsville, Texas Owls had himself a home

run, finally.   No further pop/rock hits, however, were ever forth coming.   But quality-wise for the

remainder of the decade Dudley could produce nar a dud.   “Truck Drivin’ Son-of-a-Gun.”  “Two Six Packs

Away.”  “I Got Lost.”   Many of his singles placed in the top 10 on Billboard’s C&W chart and as late as 1970

Dud struck number one with “The Pool Shark.”   When his chart ride was near spent and his contract with

Mercury was pulled in 1973, Dud cut wax for United Artist, Columbia, Rice and Sun Records.