(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Music Of C.W. McCall, Outlaw Trucker, Country Star, Mayor Of Ouray, Colorado State Open Thread 1/30 [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-01-30 Wolf Creek Pass, on Highway 160 between Monte Vista and Durango, is a heckuva ride, even if you’re not in an 18-wheeler. We’ve been over it several times, and I always look for the feed store in Pagosa Springs that CW and Earl ran their truck into. I haven’t found it. Born in Iowa in 1928, Billie Dale Fries later changed his name to CW McCall, a story telling artist who specialized in western and outlaw trucker style music. The McCall character was originally created for an advertising campaign. As the story goes, he picked the last name from a magazine on his desk and chose the initials CW to represent Country Western music. He collaborated with Chip Davis, who later went on to found Mannheim Steamroller. Their music told stories from many places; Colorado featured frequently among them. Their most famous song was “Convoy,” which topped the charts in 1976 and inspired a movie by the same name a couple of years later. McCall loved Colorado and traveled here often. He bought a vacation home in the Rockies and moved to Ouray permanently when he retired, where he served three terms as mayor. While mayor, he rebuilt and restored the historic city hall and created an audiovisual exhibit, the “San Juan Odyssey.” Fries (McCall) died April 1, 2022, in Ouray. Fans of McCall like to make videos of the places in his songs to go with the music, especially in tribute to his passing. Several of them are included here. ”Wilderness” features photos from the Alpine Loop near Ouray. “Black Bear Road” tells the story of taking an ill-fated short cut to Telluride in a rented Jeep. “The Silverton” is about the narrow gauge train out of Durango. Snowplow and avalanche on Highway 550’s Red Mountain Pass is the subject of “Riverside Slide.” “Comin’ Back For More” is an interpretation of events involving Alferd Packer on Cannibal Plateau, near Lake City. Packer was the sole survivor of a winter expedition who was sentenced to hang for the death of other members of the group. He escaped before authorities could hang him and the legend grew. How about a song writer who can work “Slumgullion Pass” into the lyrics of a song and dance number? “Glenwood Canyon” is an environmental lamentation. “Ghost Town” is about the empty buildings and lost history of Colorado mining towns. “Rocky Mountain September” is about beauty and loss. The raw beauty of the “Aurora Borealis” in the Rocky Mountains is portrayed here. “Columbine” is about the changing of seasons and passing of time. What are your favorite musical memories from our state? Colorado artists? Songs about Colorado? Do you have special memories from a Colorado concert or a road trip? Please share the video with us. This is your open thread. What’s happening in your part of the state? How are you keeping warm in this cold snap? [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/30/2149887/-Music-Of-C-W-McCall-Outlaw-Trucker-Country-Star-Mayor-Of-Ouray-Colorado-State-Open-Thread-1-30 Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/