
James Earl JonesHe has done almost everything an actor can do. He’s got an EGOT, and he’s achieved immortality for voicing Darth Vader in Star Wars. He used his legendary voice to scare truckers in the 1970s.
The CB Boom
The story begins in 1973, when the United States was hit by an oil crisis. In an effort to conserve oil, the government set a 55 mph speed limit. Speed traps were established to catch truckers and drivers who were speeding. Truckers responded by adopting CB Radios. Truckers could be productive with radios, and radios came with their slang and callsigns.
The craze quickly became a fad and people began to buy CB radios to join the trend. The phenomenon led to a string of novelty songs becoming chart-toppers. C.W. McCall’s “Convoy” is the best remembered of this lot, simulating CB slang all the way to #1 on the Billboard charts. Films like 1977’s Smokey and the BanditFurther, the technology was made ubiquitous.
Another Hit Film…
There was another hit movie that became popular that year: George Lucas’ sci-fi western Star Wars. The 1977 film was a surprise juggernaut and merchandising giant. It helped Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guinness become superstars.
Guinness is known for his dislike of the film, even though he enjoyed his large paycheck. Jones had a completely different experience. Jones had a completely different experience. he earned $7,000. It’s not a bad hourly rate but it is still a pittance when you consider how much the series would gross.
Enjoying the Airwaves
Celebrities joined the CB Radio fun. Betty Ford, the First Lady, would chat to people while Mel Blanc used Bugs Bunny’s and Daffy Duck voices for entertainment. Jones thought he could also join in the fun using his Darth Vader voice. “I used ‘Darth” as my handle,” Jones said, “driving through Kansas or somewhere, going across the country.”
You might think getting to talk to Darth Vader on a long drive would make some truckers’ day. You would be wrong. Vader was one of most terrifying villains in the 1970s. Jones said, “The truck drivers would really freak out—for them, it was Darth Vader. I had to stop doing that.” It’s a lovely image to see seventies truckers vibing to “Convoy,” only to be scared witless by the voice of Vader himself.
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