A few years ago, I heard a rumor that C.W. McCall used to frequent this diner in Pisgah, Iowa. Having heard that, we did what any normal person would do. We drove a few hours out of the way to have breakfast there. The story goes something like this.
Back in 1972, Bill Fries came up with a TV ad campaign about this mythical trucker named C.W. McCall, his dog Sloan, and the spot he hung out at, The Old Home Cafe. He based these characters on his own life in western Iowa. The commercials were so popular, the Des Moines Register even listed when they’d be on TV.
These commercials led to the first C.W. McCall song, “Old Home Fill-er Up An’ Keep On A-Truckin’ Cafe,” with Bill on lyrics and vocals and Chip Davis on music. C.W. McCall hit the big time in January 1976 when “Convoy” topped the charts.
Chip was also a pioneer of “New Age” music, making successful albums as “Mannheim Steamroller.” But not many folks knew Chip was the musical force behind C.W. McCall.
We asked our waitress if she was tired of being asked about C.W. McCall and she rolled her eyes and said yes. I can’t say I blame her, so I left it at that.
Photo by Todd Fox
I filmed a walk through a few years ago and put it on Patreon. I’ve made it free to watch if you want to give it a gander.