If You Didn’t Have A CB In 1975, Well, You Just Weren’t Cool

OK, think back now.  No, further back than that, all the way back to the mid '70's.  Are you there yet?  You are?  Good.

So...what was your handle?

If you don't know what a 'handle' is, well you may be too young.  You may have missed the CB craze.

There was a year or two back then when we all had a CB Radio in our car...or pick=up.  I don't even have to mention the trucker's, they all had CB radio's for years by then.  They used them for business.  We used them for...well, fun.  And to be cool.

So how did this CB Craze begin?  Well, that might be debatable, but one thing is for sure:  A guy named C.W. McCall, with a song called 'Convoy', brought the CB Craze to height's that are almost unimaginable today.

Released in November of 1975, by Christmas we all were familiar with the exploits of 'Pigpen', 'Sodbuster' and of course, 'Rubber Duck'.  Suddenly we were using words like 'Flagtown', Kenworth', 'Jimmy' and 'Chi-town' like we actually knew what we were talking about.

'What's your twenty?' crackled from underneath car dashes everywhere.

There are hit songs.  There are huge hit songs.  And then there musical phenomena.  That's what 'Convoy' was.

Beginning in December of 1975, the song spent six consecutive weeks atop the country music chart.  It was a #1 Pop/Rock hit.  It was #1 in Canada and peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom.  It was Billboard Magazine's #1 Country Hit of the year for 1976.

And of course it was the reason legendary Hollywood Director Sam Peckinpah was inspired to release the 1978 movie 'Convoy' starring Kris Kristofferson and Ali McGraw.

C.W. McCall had other hits, but without question it's 'Convoy' that eberyone remembers.  So climb on up into the cab, say 'Howdy' to Pigpen...and look back there!  We got us a 'Convoy'!