Country singer C.W. McCall has died at the age of 93.
The music star – who was best known for his 1975 hit ‘Convoy’ – passed away on Friday (01.04.22) in Ouray, Colorado, from cancer.
McCall’s son, Bill Fries III, confirmed the news to the Washington Post newspaper, after announcing in February that he was in hospice care for cancer.
McCall – whose real name was Bill Fries – actually worked in advertising before he found fame and success in the music industry.
The country singer eventually created the character of C.W. McCall in the early 1970s, when he appeared in a commercial for Old Home Bread.
The advert won an award and that success set him on the road to music stardom.
McCall assumed the persona of an outlaw trucker and he enjoyed a great run of success between 1974 and 1978.
He topped the charts with his most-famous hit ‘Convoy’, which inspired a film that featured the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Ali McGraw, and Ernest Borgnine.
The track also recently witnessed a revival as it became part of the Freedom Convoy movement in Canada, where protests and blockades were organised against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions.
Besides’Convoy’, McCall also achieved chart success with tracks such as ‘Wolf Creek Pass’, ‘Roses for Mama’ and ‘Classified’.
Meanwhile, between 1986 and 1992, McCall served as the mayor of his hometown of Ouray.
The country music star is survived by his wife Rena Fries and their three children, Bill, Mark and Nancy Fries.