C. W. McCall
| C. W. McCall | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Dale Fries, Jr. |
| Born |
November 15, 1928 Audubon, Iowa |
| Genres | Country, truck-driving country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1974–2003 |
| Labels | MGM, Polydor, Mercury |
William Dale Fries, Jr. (born November 15, 1928), is an American singer, activist and politician best known by his stage name C. W. McCall and for his truck-themed outlaw country songs. While most of the songs tended to be humorous or amusing, even reaching it could be said somewhat into the "Novelty" category, some also had serious commentary rooted in environmental conservation and protection issues of their day. Historic western U.S. places or events were another frequent subject, while some others were written to reflect patriotic themes or as commentary on the political climate of the era & times during which they were released.
In 1973, while working as a creative director for Bozell & Jacobs, an Omaha, Nebraska, advertising agency, Fries created a Clio Award-winning (1974) television advertising campaign advertising Old Home Bread for the Metz Baking Company. The advertisements featured a truck driver named C. W. McCall, who was played by Dallas, Texas, actor Jim Finlayson. The waitress named Mavis Davis was played by Dallas actress Jean McBride Capps. The commercial's success led to songs such as "Old Home Filler-Up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Café", "Wolf Creek Pass" and "Black Bear Road". Fries wrote the lyrics and sang while Chip Davis, later of Mannheim Steamroller, wrote the music.
McCall is best known for the 1976 #1 hit song "Convoy", which came at the peak of the CB fad in the United States. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in December 1975. Though McCall is not a one-hit wonder, "Convoy" has since become his signature song. McCall first charted the song "Wolf Creek Pass", which reached #40 on the U.S. pop top 40 in 1975. At least three other songs reached Billboard's pop Hot 100, including "Old Home Filler-Up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Cafe", "'Round the World with the Rubber Duck" (a pirate-flavored sequel to "Convoy"), as well as the environmentally-oriented "There Won't Be No Country Music (There Won't Be No Rock 'n' Roll)". A dozen McCall songs appeared in Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, including the sentimental "Roses for Mama" (1977).
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