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On Friday, April 1, 1975's Convoy hitmaker CW McCall (aka William Dale Fries Jr.) passed away at the age of 93. The news of his demise was reportedly confirmed by his son Bill Fries III and was first announced by The Washington Post.
The country singer-songwriter is best known for his truck-themed songs like Convoy, the biggest hit of Fries' repertoire. The 1975 country classic topped the charts for both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the US Hot Country Songs (Billboard).
As per The Washington Post, Dale Fries Jr. is survived by his wife Rena Bonnema and their three children, grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. The singer also had a great-great-grandchild.
CW McCall, aka William Dale Fries Junior's cause of death
McCall reportedly died at his home in Ouray, Colorado, where he also served as the Mayor from 1986 to 1992. In February, Dale Fries Jr. announced that he had cancer and insinuated that the singer was receiving medical care at the time.
While the form of cancer was not disclosed, it was likely in an advanced stage for William Dale Fries Jr. to pass away within two months of his announcement. At the time of publishing this article, the duration of his cancer diagnosis was still unknown.
Condolences rush in following William Dale Fries Jr's (aka CW McCall) death
Numerous country song enthusiasts took to Twitter to pay their tributes to the late artist. Many pointed out his hits being played on citizen band radio (CB radio) for truckers and other fans.
Exploring CW McCall's iconic legacy
In the early 1970s, William Dale Fries Jr. (born Billie Dale Fries) was employed at an advertising agency in Nebraska. In 1974, he came up with an award-winning advert concept for Metz Baking Company's product Old Home Bread.
William Dale Fries Jr. created a character for the ad called C. W. McCall, who was a truck driver. While initially the character was played by Texan actor Jim Finlayson, Dale Fries Jr. became synonymous with the name. The ad's success spawned many songs, which were written and performed by the late singer. Meanwhile, Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis contributed to the music of these hits and played the instruments.
In the initial days of the duo's music publishing, they were signed by MGM Records. Later, it was followed by Polydor Records and American Gramaphone. They released eight studio albums throughout their career, with the last one, American Spirit, being released in 2003.
CW McCall's most famed track, Convoy, received a gold certification from the RIAA. In 1978, the song inspired a feature film starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali McGraw, and Ernest Borgnine. The track was also featured in Rockstar Games' uber-popular game, Grand Theft Auto V.
McCall was also a former politician and activist. Through many of his songs, he spread awareness of issues like the Iran hostage crisis (as shown in Argo), which the singer referred to in his song Kidnap America.
