Clifford Curry Jr. was born on November 3 1936 in the Bearden neighborhood of Knoxville, Tennessee, and became an American soul and R&B singer. He started in high‑school groups such as The Echoes, then joined The Five Pennies, Hollyhocks, and the Bubba Suggs Band, developing his vocal style. His breakthrough came in 1967 with the single "She Shot A Hole In My Soul" under Sweet Clifford, which entered the U.S. R&B chart. The next year, "I Can't Get A Hold Of Yourself" gained traction in the Northern soul scene, played at venues like the Twisted Wheel Club and Wigan Casino. In the 1970s and 1980s, Curry remained a staple of Southern Carolina beach music, earning the title “The King Of Beach Music” and a 1995 induction into the Beach Music Hall of Fame with Maurice Williams and Bill Pinkney. He recorded Tennessee R&B Live with Earl Gaines and Roscoe Shelton in 1997 and collaborated with Faye Adams on "Shake a Hand." His later releases include Blues I Can't Lose (2009). Clifford Curry died on September 6 2016 in Knoxville after a prolonged illness, leaving a lasting legacy in beach and soul music.
