Born on May 3, 1928 in Spencer, WI, Darwin David Pedruska grew up in Stevens Point, WI and received his first guitar from his dad when he was 11.
Dave's first love was baseball and was with the Gainsville Owls when he tore a muscle in his pitching arm. While recovering, Dave dropped by WTMT in Wausau, WI and ended up hosting The Texas Stranger Show. Following a stint at KBOK in Waterloo, IA, Dave headed northwest in 1952 to KCHA in Charles City, IA. A year later, Dave formed the Dave Dudley Trio which stayed together for seven years.
In 1960, Dave moved to Minnesota, formed the Country Gentlemen, and joined KEVE in Minneapolis. While packing his away guitar after a performance at The Flame on December 3, 1960, he was seriously injured when a car struck him.
Following a lengthy recovery, Dave reached the top 40 with Maybe I Do in 1961 and Under Cover of the Night in 1962. Shortly thereafter, Jimmy C. Newman gave Dave the demo for Six Days on the Road. After running undertime on a 1963 session, the song was cut unrehearsed & nailed on the second take. With Jimmy Colvard providing the hot licks, Dave received a contract from Mercury and a signature song.
Dave's association with Mercury lasted a decade, before he moved to Rice Records. By 1975, Dave signed with United Artists. In 1978, he rejoined Rice. Since 1980, Dave has recorded for numerous labels in North America and Europe.
In 2001, Dave recorded his first all trucking project since 1965, American Trucker. In 2002, Dave participated in the Songs For the Long Haul project marketed by LongHaulMusic.com.
Dave built up a popular following in Europe and continued performing until his passing on December 22, 2003 of a massive heart attack.
