C.W. McCall Dies: No. 1 Hit ‘Convoy’ Singer-Songwriter Was 93

C.W. McCall, best known for his massive 1975 hit “Convoy,” died Friday in Ouray, Colo. at age 93 from cancer. His death was first reported by the Washington Post.

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McCall, real name Bill Fries, was working in advertising when he devised the character of C.W. McCall for a 1973 advertising spot for Old Home Bread. The ad won a Clio Award, and it spawned a new career for Fries, who took on the persona of an outlaw trucker.

McCall dominated the county music charts from 1974-78. In addition to his No. 1 pop hit with “Convoy,” which rode the CB craze of the era, he charted with “Wolf Creek Pass,” “Old Home Filler-Up an’ Keep On-a-Truckin’ Cafe,” “Classified,” “There Won’t Be No Country Music (There Won’t Be No Rock ‘n’ Roll)” and “Roses for Mama.”

“Convoy” went on to spawn a 1978 film starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali McGraw and Ernest Borgnine.