C.W. McCall (Convoy) on This Day in History

 

This Day in History: William Dale Fries Jr. was born on this day in 1926. Wikipedia describes Fries as a singer, though he never really sang on any of his songs. Fries is better known as C.W. McCall and is responsible for the #1 1976 hit "Convoy". Convoy" was a novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US and is listed 98th among Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts. The song went to number one in Canada as well, hitting the top of the RPM Top Singles Chart on January 24, 1976. "Convoy" also peaked at number two in the UK. The song capitalized on the fad for citizens band (CB) radio. The song was the inspiration for the 1978 Sam Peckinpah film Convoy. 

Truck drivers in the 1970's began to using CB radio to communicate, especially after the United States enforced a nationwide 55 mph speed limit during the oil crisis. "This, among other regulations, angered truckers who then used their CB radios to form convoys. Convoys were groups of truckers that drove together down highways faster than the speed limit because the police couldn’t catch all of them. Convoys would also tell each other where police officers set up speed traps, if there was a roadside emergency, or even block off roads with their trucks in protest. Because police would also listen to the CB radio channels, the trucker drivers developed an elaborate slang including code names called handles to protect their identities. After hearing about this unique dialogue, McCall and songwriter Chip Davis bought a CB radio which inspired them to write 'Convoy'. The song is filled with this trucker slang including lyrics like 'Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck. You gotta copy on me, Pig Pen, c’mon?'."~Paige Hinkle

1976 saw the release of yet another CD-inspired Trucker song, "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine, which also went to number one. 

The above two songs were some of the greatest trucker songs of all time. Other notable songs in the genre are East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed, On the Road Again by Willie Nelson, I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash and Truckin' by the Grateful Dead.

Convoy would go on to inspire a few parody versions, such as the UK song "Convoy GB" by Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks and "Chatroom" by Bob Rivers.