Chip Davis

Louis F. "Chip" Davis, Jr. was born in 1947 in Hamler, Ohio. After touring with the Norman Luboff Choir, he took a job with an Omaha, Nebraska advertising agency writing jingles. These included spots for a local bakery featuring the fictional trucker C. W. McCall. The spots were co-written with advertising writer Bill Fries, who became the voice of McCall. The spots were so popular, they were persuaded to begin writing non-advertising songs featuring McCall. The most famous of these is the 1975 "Convoy". The duo released a total of five albums between 1974 and 1979.

Davis founded Mannheim Steamroller in 1974 to showcase his interest in fusing modern popular and classical techniques. He founded American Gramaphone Records after his initial efforts to secure a label failed to meet with any success; this has been the label for all subsequent Mannheim Steamroller releases.