william dale fries jr. (november 15, 1928 – april 1, 2022), best known by his stage name c. w. mccall, was an american singer-songwriter, activist and politician. he was known for his outlaw country songs. mccall was born in audubon, iowa. his career lasted from 1944 until 2003. he was the mayor of ouray, colorado from 1986 until 1992. his 1975 single "convoy" became a #1 hit in 1976.