Les Dudek
Les Dudek | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 2, 1952 Naval Air Station,Quonset Point, Rhode Island,United States |
| Genres | Blues rock,Southern rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar,vocals |
| Years active | 1976–present |
Les Dudek(born August 2, 1952, atNaval Air Station,Quonset Point, Rhode Island,United States) is anAmericanguitarist,singer and songwriter.[1]
In addition to his solo material, Dudek has played guitar withSteve Miller Band,The Dudek-Finnigan-Krueger Band,Stevie Nicks,Cher,Boz Scaggs,The Allman Brothers Band,as well asMaria Muldaur,Bobby Whitlock,Mike Finnigan,Jim KruegerandDave Mason.[2]
Early years
[edit]Dudek's father Harold came fromCampbell, Nebraska,and was a World War II veteran in the United States Navy. His mother Alma, of Brooklyn, was a formerRadio City Music HallRockette.Les has one older sister, Sandy. The family is of Czech, German, Italian, and Russian descent. Six years after Les was born, his father retired from the Navy and the family moved toAuburndale, Florida,where he grew up.
Musical career
[edit]The Beatlescaught Dudek's ear at an early age.[1]In 1962, at the age of ten, Les asked his parents for a guitar forChristmas.They bought him an acoustic guitar fromSears & Roebuck.His musical influences, along with The Beatles, wereCream,Jimi Hendrix,andThe Ventures.[3]He had built quite a reputation around the Florida area as a proficientguitarplayer, having started playing in local bands as a teenager. Those bands were "The United Sounds", "Blue Truth" and "Power". That reputation would place him in the studio with theAllman Brothers Bandfor the recording of theBrothers & Sistersalbum.[1]He played guitar harmonies withDickey Bettson the well-known song "Ramblin' Man"and acoustic guitar on"Jessica".[1][4]InAlan Paul's book,One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band,Dudek claimed to have written the part in "Jessica" from when it modulated into G then eventually back to A.[5]
His next stops were as a guitarist forBoz ScaggsandThe Steve Miller Band.[1]Dudek was invited to play withJourney,[citation needed]however, he had received an offer to record forColumbia Recordsas a solo artist and took that path instead. He recorded four solo albums for Columbia Records,Les Dudek,Say No More,Ghost Town ParadeandGypsy Ride.[1]He had two minor hits with "City Magic" and "Old Judge Jones" which were played frequently on local radio stations in theLos Angeles, Californiaarea, where he lived at the time, having moved toWest Hollywoodin the mid-1970s.[citation needed]
He later collaborated withCher,Stevie Nicks,and with two other Columbia artists,Mike Finniganand Jim Krueger, with whom he formed The Dudek Finnigan Krueger Band in 1978. A DFKB album was released by Columbia Records a year later.[1]
Between the years 1979 and 1982, Dudek and Cher had a personal as well as professional relationship.[6][7]Dudek wrote and performed some of the music for the 1984 movieMaskstarringCher,Sam Elliott,Eric Stoltz,andLaura Dern.[1]He had a small part in the film as "Bone", a biker.[8]Dudek also appeared in the TV movie,Streets of Justice(1985).[9]He has worked forNBC,ABC,ESPN,Fox Sports,andE! Entertainment Television.He can be heard on many television series includingFriends.[citation needed]
In 1985, Dudek played guitar withStevie Nickson her albumRock a Little,and undertook her subsequent tour.[1][10]
In 1989, he did a brief stint with Canadian rock groupJohn Kay&Steppenwolfas their guitarist. But problems developed between Dudek and Kay which led to him leaving the band after a month of touring.[citation needed]
Two more solo albums later,Deeper Shades Of Blues(1994) andFreestyle,[1]Dudek hit the road again with his own band, and has been performing songs from all his records, plus a few hits he has recorded with other artists.[citation needed]
In 2013, he released another solo album,Delta Breeze.[11]
Discography
[edit]- Les Dudek
- Les Dudek(1976)
- Say No More(1977)
- Ghost Town Parade(1978)
- Gypsy Ride(1981)
- Deeper Shades of Blues(1994)
- Freestyle!(2003)
- Delta Breeze(2013)[12]
- The Dudek, Finnigan, Krueger Band
- The Dudek, Finnigan, Krueger Band(1980)[13]
- Fly Like an Eagle(1976)[14]
- Book of Dreams(1977)[15]
- Living in the 20th Century(1986)[16]
- Wide River(1993)[17]
- Rock a Little(1985)[10]
- Black Rose(1980)[18]
- Silk Degrees(1976)[19]
- Southern Winds(1978)[20]
- Richard T. Bear
- Red Hot & Blue(1978)
- Black & White(1978)[21]
- Brothers & Sisters(1973)[22]
- Rock Your Sox Off(1976)[23]
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghijGreg Prato."Les Dudek: Biography".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Les Dudek | Credits".AllMusic.1952-08-02.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Les Dudek".Lesdudek.Retrieved2014-07-18.
- ^"Biography".Lesdudek. 1971-10-29.Retrieved2014-07-18.
- ^Alan Paul(2015).One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band.St. Martin's Griffin. p. N/K.ISBN978-1250040503.
- ^Berman, Connie (2001).Cher (Women of Achievement).Chelsea House Pub. pp. 45–47.ISBN9780791059074.
- ^"Cher's Many Men".OnYahoo!.20 May 2016.
- ^"Mask(1985): Full Cast & Crew ".IMDb.Retrieved2016-01-08.
- ^"Streets of Justice(1985 TV Movie): Full Cast & Crew ".IMDb.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^ab"Rock a Little: Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Delta Breeze - Les Dudek | User Reviews".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Les Dudek | Album Discography".AllMusic.1952-08-02.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"The Dudek, Finnigan, Krueger Band - The Dudek Finnigan Krueger Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.2006-12-05.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller,Steve Miller Band | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Living in the 20th Century - Steve Miller Band | Credits".AllMusic.1987-12-15.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Wide River - Steve Miller Band | Credits".AllMusic.1993-06-08.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Black Rose (8) - Black Rose (Vinyl, LP, Album)".Discogs.1980.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs | Credits".AllMusic.1976-08-15.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Southern Winds - Maria Muldaur | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Mike Finnigan - Black & White (Vinyl, LP, Album)".Discogs.1978.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Brothers and Sisters - The Allman Brothers Band | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
- ^"Rock Your Sox Off - Bobby Whitlock | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-01-28.
External links
[edit]- Les Dudek website
- Paul Freeman."A real guitar hero".Mercurynews.Retrieved2024-08-02.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1952 births
- American rock guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American people of Czech descent
- American people of German descent
- American people of Italian descent
- American people of Russian descent
- Living people
- Guitarists from Florida
- Steppenwolf (band) members
- American rock singers
- Songwriters from Rhode Island
- American lead guitarists
- American slide guitarists
- American male singers
- American session musicians
- 20th-century American guitarists
- Singer-songwriters from Florida