Dave Oyen

Dave Oyen is a singer with a career that spans over 6 decades. He was member of the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps stationed in Washington D.C. where he performed at the White House during both JFK & LBJ administrations. During his stint in the Marines, Dave formed a folk group "The San Quentin Seven" with fellow Marines. The group recorded an album at the Marine Band recording studio in the summer of 1964. The San Quentin Seven's notable performances include the 1964 Florida State Fair and performances with The New Christy Minstrels.


After leaving the Marines, The San Quentin Seven disbanded and Dave performed as a solo act. In 1971, Dave formed "Dave Oyen and the New Men" and performed throughout the Midwest, including with national artists such as Don Williams. In 1978, Dave moved to Nashville where he lived and performed until 1983.


In 2000, Dave recorded "Thanks for Listening" produced by his nephew Steve Oyen. Over the next many years, Dave recorded several more albums with notable musicians including Joe Savage & Brian C Peters.


In 2009 Dave was inducted into the South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame where he is enshrined as one of South Dakota's preeminent country music performers. In 2011, Dave was again honored in his native South Dakota by being inducted into the "Legends of South Dakota Country Music."


In 2018 the album “Acoustic” was awarded the Album of the Year by the South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame.

~ Bert Bertleson, Ebony Tree Audio Ltd.