Musical Artist - McCall, C.W.

C.W. McCall is the stage name of Bill Fries, an American country singer best known for the song Convoy. The C.W. McCall persona was originally created as a character featured in a 1973 advertising campaign for Old Home Bread for the Metz Baking Company. McCall was a truck driver for the company who interacted via song with a truck stop waitress named Mavis Davis.

The lyrics for the commercials were written and voiced by Bill Fries, while the music was written by Chip Davis. The bread company series of advertisements led to some moderately successful songs such as The Old Home Fill 'er Up and Keep On a-Truckin' Cafe and Wolf Creek Pass. In 1976, Fries and Davis put out the song Convoy during the height of the romanticization of CB-radio based trucker culture, making the song into a massive hit and McCall's signature song. The song had such appeal, that in 1978, a movie starring Kris Kristofferson was made out of it, which included a version of the song Convoy that was written especially for the movie. Under the persona of McCall, Fries has put out six albums and two additional singles, producing a number of minor hits including There Won't Be No Country Music (There Won't Be No Rock 'n' Roll) and Roses for Mama.

In 1975, Chip Davis founded the group Mannheim Steamroller, and began releasing music under that name starting with the series of Fresh Aire albums. In 1986, Fries was elected mayor of the town of Ouray, Colorado, ultimately serving in that position for six years.

There is a website dedicated to C.W. McCall named The Legend - C.W. McCall.

Musical Monday Selections:

05/01/17: Convoy

03/13/17: Glenwood Canyon

04/24/17: The Old Home Fill 'er Up and Keep On a-Truckin' Cafe

12/04/17: There Won't Be No Country Music

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