Clem Curtis - 1970s To Present

1970s To Present

After some well-received club appearances and hanging out with artists such as Wilson Pickett, and staying with The Cowsills, he did not receive enough work and decided to return to England in the early 1970s. He did some work with Donnie Elbert and Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon and later reformed a version of The Foundations.

Over the years, Curtis has fronted various lineups of The Foundations, as well as appearing on his own as a solo artist. He has recorded and released records on various record labels, including EMI, Opium, Pye Records, RCA Records, Riverdale, and others. In 1977 Clem Curtis and The Foundations nearly got into the Eurovision final with "Where Were You When I Needed Your Love", a John Macleod and Dave Meyers composition. They came third in the heats, and were picked as a favourite to win, but an electricians' strike ruined their chances, and "Rock Bottom" by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran was the winner.

In the late 1980s, Curtis joined the lineup of "The Corporation", also referred to as "the Traveling Wrinklies", which was a parody of sorts of the popular Traveling Wilburys. The Traveling Wrinklies were composed of Curtis, Mike Pender, Brian Poole, Tony Crane, and Reg Presley, former lead singer of The Troggs. They released a single "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" on the Corporation label in 1988.

In the late 1980s, Curtis teamed up with original Foundations guitarist Alan Warner to re-cut the original Foundations hits.

Curtis has appeared on stage as the Lion in The Wiz at the Lyric Hammersmith, and gave a successful gospel stage performance in Amen Corner at The Lyric in Shaftesbury Avenue. He has also appeared on TV chat shows, the British reality television series Airport, and had a bit part in the ITV series The Bill.

Curtis is still recording and performing; he can regularly be seen as part of the "soul explosion" night with former Flirtations singer Earnestine Pearce and Jimmy James at resorts such as Butlins and Warner Leisure Hotels in the United Kingdom. He also appears on cruises such as the cruise ship "Azura", which docked in Southampton.

He has acquired the unofficial title of "The Godfather of English Soul". In 2005, Curtis and Lord Large released "Stuck in a Wind Up" and "Move Over Daddy", which is a hit with the Northern soul crowd.Curtis brother Derek Lewis was a member of Hot Chocolate between 1975 to 1985.

Curtis is currently residing in the small town of Olney, near Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom.