Growing up all i wanted was to be a truck driver. In my youth popular shows romanticized the dream of the over the road trucker. Movies came out like Smokey and The Bandit where old Bandit and Snow man would give them Smokies Hell. Another favorite movie of that era was Convoy. Convoy starred Kris Kristofferson who played the Rubber Duck. The idea for the movie came about because of a song written by William Dale Fries Jr., best known by his stage name C. W. McCall.
The name CW McCall was created as an ad campaign In 1973. Fries worked as the creative director for, Bozell & Jacobs , an advertising agency in Omaha Nebraska. A truck driver named C. W. McCall was born during an award winning television ad for Old Home Bread for the Metz Baking Company.
Fries career in advertising may have been short lived , but it allowed him to begin a career as a songwriter and a musician. With his Stage name CW McCall his most known release was his song, Convoy.
Other favorites of mine include Classified and CJ5. McCalls colorful and sometimes comedic music about the Truck Driver and life in the American West shaped the music I still enjoy today. I texted mom yesterday- and she related that she could still hear those songs in her head even after all these years. She remembered the tale of the Rubber Duck and Pigpen blasting through the speakers from the turntable in my bedroom.
CW McCall died April 1st at the age of 93. He may be gone but his music will live on.
“So we crashed the gate doing 98 Let them truckers roll – 10-4”
Pancho.