Following a three-week Chevron Hotel date in Melbourne and lured by the warmth of the sunshine and people, Cliff decided to make Australia his home. Portwood’s first stop in Melbourne was at the house of the Seekers bassist Athol Guy. The pair had formed an unlikely friendship in England, exchanging tickets to Portsmouth with tickets for Guy’s live shows. With a little help from his well-connected friend, Portwood quickly settled in the area, finding himself a regular position on Channel Seven’s Saturday night variety show The Penthouse Club. Between a mixture of sports results and light-hearted comedy, the Englishman would belt out tunes for an adoring audience.
Despite establishing himself in the entertainment industry, Portwood struggled to convince his new acquaintances that he was, indeed, a former professional footballer. As Australian musician Mike Brady (of Up There Cazaly fame) puts it: ''Most people didn’t believe it. What would you be doing in Australia singing if you were a former pro?'' Portwood reflected ''They all thought it was just a lie, until some footballers came from the United Kingdom to play in Australia in their summer break. I got Mike Summerbee from Manchester City on the show, and he said, ‘Yeah, Cliff played, of course’. So the proof came that I wasn’t telling lies about my ex-career.''
Having accepted that Portwood was no fraud, his Channel Seven colleagues set about devising a nickname for their charming English friend. The co-host of the show Mary Hardy, sister of the author Frank Hardy and a popular figure in her own right, settled on "Sexy Legs", because, the story goes, Portwood had to stand in one position while singing for the camera so could only shake his hips. The nickname quickly stuck and, according to Brady ''he became a bit of a sex symbol to women, which suited Cliff’s personality perfectly''.
Portwood’s popularity in Australia grew, and on the back of several letters to the station asking for his music, the Englishman released the album ''By Request Here’s Cliff'' which went gold four times. Between recording, rehearsing and performing, Portwood also found time for drinking sessions with celebrities, including Keith Moon from the Who – ''an interesting experience'' he later recalled in understated fashion.
With the television industry in a state of flux, The Penthouse Club came to an end in the late 1970s. With a suitcase full of gold records, the Englishman and his family returned home for their next adventure. Portwood’s music career continued after he left Australia, with regular shows in England and the USA. As he once commented wryly about performing in Blackpool clubs: ''If you haven’t done them, you haven’t done anything!''. He died in hospital at Basingstoke on 10 January 2012, after losing his battle with lung disease.
SINGLES
''The Wind / My World'' 1971 RCA
''Turn Around / The World Around Us'' 1972 RCA
''Happy Anniversary / I'm Thinking Of You'' 1976 Hammard
ALBUMS
'Love Portraits' 1970 Crest
'By Request Here's Cliff Portwood' 1975 Hammard
'Two Sides Of' 1977 Hammard
Despite establishing himself in the entertainment industry, Portwood struggled to convince his new acquaintances that he was, indeed, a former professional footballer. As Australian musician Mike Brady (of Up There Cazaly fame) puts it: ''Most people didn’t believe it. What would you be doing in Australia singing if you were a former pro?'' Portwood reflected ''They all thought it was just a lie, until some footballers came from the United Kingdom to play in Australia in their summer break. I got Mike Summerbee from Manchester City on the show, and he said, ‘Yeah, Cliff played, of course’. So the proof came that I wasn’t telling lies about my ex-career.''
Having accepted that Portwood was no fraud, his Channel Seven colleagues set about devising a nickname for their charming English friend. The co-host of the show Mary Hardy, sister of the author Frank Hardy and a popular figure in her own right, settled on "Sexy Legs", because, the story goes, Portwood had to stand in one position while singing for the camera so could only shake his hips. The nickname quickly stuck and, according to Brady ''he became a bit of a sex symbol to women, which suited Cliff’s personality perfectly''.
Portwood’s popularity in Australia grew, and on the back of several letters to the station asking for his music, the Englishman released the album ''By Request Here’s Cliff'' which went gold four times. Between recording, rehearsing and performing, Portwood also found time for drinking sessions with celebrities, including Keith Moon from the Who – ''an interesting experience'' he later recalled in understated fashion.
With the television industry in a state of flux, The Penthouse Club came to an end in the late 1970s. With a suitcase full of gold records, the Englishman and his family returned home for their next adventure. Portwood’s music career continued after he left Australia, with regular shows in England and the USA. As he once commented wryly about performing in Blackpool clubs: ''If you haven’t done them, you haven’t done anything!''. He died in hospital at Basingstoke on 10 January 2012, after losing his battle with lung disease.
''The Wind / My World'' 1971 RCA
''Turn Around / The World Around Us'' 1972 RCA
''Happy Anniversary / I'm Thinking Of You'' 1976 Hammard
EPs
'I Never Said Goodbye' Jay Records'Love Portraits' 1970 Crest
'By Request Here's Cliff Portwood' 1975 Hammard
'Two Sides Of' 1977 Hammard
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