Clem Clempson
A versatile English guitarist whose fiery blues-rock licks powered bands like Humble Pie and Colosseum, leaving a mark on 1970s rock.
Born 1949 (age 77)·English guitarist·Birthday: September 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Clempson, known universally as Clem, emerged from the British blues boom of the late 1960s, first making waves with the jazz-rock fusion of Colosseum. His reputation as a player of both formidable technique and deep soul caught the ear of Steve Marriott, who recruited him for the hard-rocking Humble Pie. Clempson's searing guitar work became a defining element of the band's live album "Performance Rockin' the Fillmore," a record that cemented his status as a premier rock guitarist. Beyond these pillars of his career, he became a sought-after session musician, contributing to records by artists ranging from Jack Bruce to Cozy Powell, and later enjoyed a long tenure with the German rock institution BAP. His playing, characterized by a rich, singing tone and a fluency in both blues and more complex progressive structures, represents a crucial thread in the fabric of classic rock.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Clem was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clem Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Clem's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played lead guitar on Humble Pie's landmark 1971 live album "Performance Rockin' the Fillmore."
- Was a key member of the pioneering jazz-rock band Colosseum, contributing to albums like "Valentyne Suite."
- Served as the longtime guitarist for the successful German rock group BAP from the 1980s onward.
- Recorded and toured with former Cream bassist Jack Bruce on his solo projects in the 1970s.
Did You Know?
He was briefly considered as a replacement for Mick Taylor in The Rolling Stones in the mid-1970s.
Before joining Humble Pie, he turned down an offer to join the progressive rock band Jethro Tull.
His guitar solo on Humble Pie's "I Don't Need No Doctor" is frequently cited as a classic of live rock recording.
“The guitar is a voice; you have to make it speak with conviction.”
