A Brief Bio of the Peripatetic wanderings of Chris Dudley
Born August 27, 1968 at the Army hospital at White Sands Missle Range
In Dona Ana County, New Mexico, Home of Fat Man, Little Boy and Chris Dudley.
His mom, Constance McKay Hicks, now Santana, moved to the Big Island of
Hawaii in 1972 when Chris was four. Chris' weening and teening were done
between New Mexico and Hawaii.
On his fifth birthday he received an ukulele, eventually moving to guitar
in his early 20s. Chris has also played the harmonica since he was a child
but a rodeo accident in February of 2004 left his face partially paralyzed,
effectively ending his harmonica abilities as well as nearly ending his life.
As it is quite long, a complete list of post high school state moves is
listed below. It would seem Mr. Dudley has been searching for something.
Chris Dudley attended the University of New Mexico, receiving a B.A.
in History and Philosophy in 1993. During his college years Dudley played
rugby--voted Captain in 92-93, roadraced motorcycles, winning an Amateur
Championship title in 1990 and going pro for a brief period in 1991.
Chris worked thrughout his college career in the service industry. Most
importantly he bartended at a newly reopened Sunshine Theater where he saw
Arlo Guthrie, Yellowman and George Clinton perform among others.
Chris also worked horses, a love of his since childhood, as a groom and
eventually as a farrier--the work he does to this day to pay the bills.
In 1996, finding himself in Santa Cruz, California, Chris took a job as a
reporter for a small weekly newspaper. He eventually worked as a freelance
for the daily Honolulu Star-Bulletin, writing sports and adventure stories.
Chris especially loved the adventure stories where he got to do an activity
and then write about it. He went Kite surfing, ballroom dancing, he even
boxed and "tested" Margaritas and played chess in Waikiki.
Chris was also very active in the rodeo community, riding bulls and bronces
(rather poorly) and then working as a rodeo clown. He was critically injured
in a rodeo accident in February of 2004. He spent several days in an
induced coma and then six months recovering. Chris had to relearn all
of his songs. Some still come to him suddenly, over two years after
the accident. A bullriding story Chris wrote for the Star-Bulletin was honored in the 1992
Best American Sports Writing book.
Chris is an avid homebrewer, surfer, fisherman, outdoorsman, writer, poet and
musician. He's been in barroom brawls --retired-- and volunteered at
homeless shelters and worked with at risk youth in camps and group homes.
He currently lives in a barn in Corrales, New Mexico, trading a couple of
converted stalls for horseshoeing. It's a castle to the man who once
lived and worked out of a 1988 Nissan Sentra.
He jokes that he deserved every whack. From his wealth of experience comes
his music and his easy going attitude.
An incomplete list of moves after high school:
1986, attended UNM, Albuquerque, NM
1988, moved to Tempe, AZ
1989, back to Albuquerque
1990, June, moved to Boulder, CO
1990, August, back to Albuquerque.
1993, June, completed BS History and Philosophy, UNM, moved to Lexington, KY
1993, December, moved to Kona, HI
1994, May, moved to Lexington, KY
1994, September, moved to Albuquerque
1994, December, moved back to Kona, HI
1995, August, moved to Santa Cruz, CA
1997, January, moved to Berkeley, CA
1997, November, moved to Kona, HI
1998, August, moved to Honolulu, HI
2001, June, moved to Albuquerque, NM
2001, November, Lexington, KY
2002, January, Albuquerque, NM
2002, September, Honolulu, HI
2003, September, Albuquerque, NM
2004, February, Honolulu, HI
2004, May, Kona, HI
2004, September, Albuquerque, NM
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