C.W. McCall

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One of the few fictional artists with a real number one hit under their big, tacky brass-buckled belt. Originally created for a 1973 bread commercial tv spot by William "Bill" Dale Fries, Jr., McCall was first played by actor Jim Finlayson, and the ad won a Clio award.

The success of the ad encouraged Fries to record and release a number of albums under the pseudonym of McCall:

  • Wolf Creek Pass, January 1975
  • Black Bear Road, September 1975
  • Wilderness, 1976
  • Rubber Duck, 1976
  • Roses for Mama, 1977
  • C. W. McCall & Co., 1979
  • The Real McCall: An American Storyteller, 1990
  • American Spirit (with Mannheim Steamroller), May 20, 2003

Weirdly, his novelty C&W songwriting partner was Chip Davis, later of real smooth jazz/fusion group Mannheim Steamroller(?!).

The song "Convoy" from Black Bear Road was released in November 1975 and went to #1 by January 31, 1976. In 1978, the movie Convoy was released, based on the song.


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