Clif Magness
Clifton "Clif" Magness is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for co-writing and producing several tracks on Avril Lavigne’s 2002 debut album, Let Go including the song "Losing Grip". At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Magness won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for the song "The Places You Find Love" from Quincy Jones' album, Back On The Block. He received nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy for the theme song "The Day I Fall In Love" from the film Beethoven's 2nd.
Also recorded as Clifton Magness
Clif Magness
- Name
- Clif Magness
- Birth Name
- Clifton Magness
- Birthplace
- Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
- Died
- YYYY MM DD
- Occupation
- Lyricist, singer-songwriter, producer
- Born
- 1957 · Lubbock.
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- pop music
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Documentary summary
Clifton "Clif" Magness is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for co-writing and producing several tracks on Avril Lavigne’s 2002 debut album, Let Go including the song "Losing Grip". At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Magness won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for the song "The Places You Find Love" from Quincy Jones' album, Back On The Block. He received nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy for the theme song "The Day I Fall In Love" from the film Beethoven's 2nd.
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wikidata · Q16728098 · wikipedia · Clif Magness
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Clif Magness • Birth Name — Clifton Magness • Birthplace — Lubbock, Texas, U.S. • Died — YYYY MM DD • Instrument — Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, bass guitar, programming, engineering • Genre — Pop, rock, adult contemporary, folk/pop, alternative • Occupation — Lyricist, singer-songwriter, producer • Years Active — 1973–present • Associated Acts — Quincy Jones, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken • Website — http: www.cliftonmagness.com
Collaborations
Collaborations
Magness worked with Lavigne on her multi-platinum debut album, Let Go, co-writing five tracks and producing 6, including "Losing Grip", Mobile, "Unwanted", "My World", and "Too Much to Ask". Let Go reached the top of the albums chart in Canada and the U.K., as high as #2 on the Billboard 200, and finished the year at #14 on Billboards 200 Albums for 2002. Prior to leaving New York for Los Angeles to collaborate with Magness, Lavigne was assigned cowriters by her label, Arista, who "failed to click with a girl who'd just discovered guitar-based rock". Magness gave Lavigne the creative freedom she desired. "The harder-rocking songs on Let Go – specifically 'Losing Grip' and 'Unwanted' – had the sound she wanted for the whole album." Following up his collaboration with Lavigne, Magness went on to work with original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson on her debut album Thankful. The #1 album featured two productions by Magness. He co-wrote and produced two songs from Clarkson's multi-platinum second album, Breakaway. Magness also produced five songs for another American Idol contestant, Clay Aiken, on his debut album, Measure of a Man, including the single "Solitaire", which topped the 2004 Canadian chart for 4 weeks. Magness produced the longest radio air played song in Australian history, "Perfect", for Vanessa Amorosi. Magness co-wrote the first single "Lights Out" and five other songs with Lisa Marie Presley from her debut album, To Whom It May Concern. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Early in his career, Magness co-wrote and produced the title track "All I Need" on Jack Wagner's debut album All I Need. In 1985, the song spent 2 weeks at the top of Billboards Adult Contemporary chart. In 1990, Magness' collaboration with songwriter Steve Kipner resulted in a Billboard top 5 single for Wilson Phillips' "Impulsive". Magness has either co-written and/or produced tracks for Celine Dion, Jessica Simpson, Amy Grant, Billy Idol, Hanson, Steve Perry, O-Town, Charlotte Martin, Rachel Loy, Teddy Pendergrass, Wild Orchid, Ted Nugent, Judith Owen, Jude, Joe Bonamassa, The Urge, Idina Menzel, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Evelyn "Champaigne" King, Kyle Vincent, Marie Digby, Andreya Triana, Dara Sedaka, Sam Harris, Days Difference, Ill Scarlett, Lee Greenwood, Gob, Thelma Houston, Larry Graham, Ivy Lies, Christina Grimmie, Caroline Sunshine, Jermaine Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Julio Iglesias, Sheena Easton, George Benson, Vanessa Amorosi, Patti Austin and Al Jarreau.
Studio albums
Studio albums
• Solo (1994) • Lucky Dog (2018) • Road to Gold: Official Collection of Lost Demos (2022)
with Planet 3
with Planet 3
• A Heart from the Big Machine (1991) • Music From the Planet (1992) (European version of A Heart from the Big Machine, with one song replaced) • Gems Unearthed (2004)
Singles
Singles
• "There's Nothing So Expensive as a Woman Who's Free for the Night" (1980) (as Clif Newton) • "Rest of the Night" (1980) (as Clif Newton) • "Footprints in the Rain" (1994) • "Flower Girl" (1994) • "Impulsive" (Wilson Phillips) (1990) • "Low" (Kelly Clarkson) (2002) • "Losin' Grip" (Avril Lavigne) (2001) • "Mobile" (Avril Lavigne) (2001) • "Perfect" (Vanessa Amorosi) (2007) The longest radio airplaying single in Australian history. • "Crawl" (Vanessa Amorosi) (2008)
Soundtrack appearances
Soundtrack appearances
• "Incommunicado", "Never Crossed My Mind" Clif Magness (from The Last Starfighter) (1984) • "Top of the Hill", "Hold On" Clif Magness (from Hot Dog: The Movie) (1984) • "Love, It's Just The Way It Goes" John Farnam & Sarah Taylor (from The Slugger's Wife) (1985) • "I Don't Want To Say Goodnight" Planet 3 (from Navy Seals) (1990) • "Alive" Marie Digby (from The Breakup Girl) (2013) • "One Way Out" Mr. Big (from Caddyshack 2) (1988) • "I Will Survive" Cheap Trick (from Gladiator) (1988) • "It's Gonna Be Special" Patti Austin (from Two Of A Kind) (1983) • "I Know" Jude (from City Of Angels) (1997) • "Mobile" Avril Lavigne (from The Medallion, Wimbledon, and Just Married) (2001) • "I Always Get What I Want" Avril Lavigne (from "The Princess Diaries II") (2001)
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The canonical record carries the following identifying particulars.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Born on 24 April 1957.
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
• 1990 – Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) – Won • Glen Ballard, Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones and Clif Magness (arrangers) for "The Places You Find Love" performed by Siedah Garrett & Chaka Khan • 1994 – Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television – Nominated • Carole Bayer Sager, Clif Magness, and James Ingram, for "The Day I Fall In Love" performed by Dolly Parton and James Ingram
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
• 1993 – Music (Original Song) – Nominated • Carole Bayer Sager, Clif Magness, and James Ingram, for "The Day I Fall In Love" performed by Dolly Parton and James Ingram
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
• 1993 – Best Original Song – Motion Picture – Nominated • Carole Bayer Sager, Clif Magness, and James Ingram, for "The Day I Fall In Love" performed by Dolly Parton and James Ingram
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Billboard. 39–. April 5, 2003. 0006-2510.
- 2.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Academy Awards Database.
- 3.The Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Golden Globe Awards Official Website.
- 4.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Billboard. 9–. February 18, 1995. 0006-2510.
- 5.Recording Industry Association of America. Gold and Platinum.
- 6.Billboard. Billboard 200 Albums: 2002 Year-End Charts.
- 7.Willman, Chris. Avril Lavigne The Anti-Britney. Entertainment Weekly. November 1, 2002.
- 8.Eliscu, Jenny. Little Miss Can't Be Wrong. Rolling Stone. March 20, 2003.
- 9.Billboard. Clarkson Becomes A No. 1 'Idol' Again. April 23, 2003.
- 10.Recording Industry Association of America. Gold and Platinum.
- 11.Staff. Ralph Carr.
- 12.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Billboard. 70–. April 26, 2003. 0006-2510.
- 13.Billboard. Adult Contemporary - 1985 Archive.
- 14.Jay Warner. Notable Moments of Women in Music. Hal Leonard Books. 297–. 2008. 978-1-4234-2951-7.
- 15.AllMusic.com. Clif Magness credits.
References
Citations
References
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Further particulars
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This entry is compiled from 2 catalogued sources across 2 independent registers. The registers consulted are Wikipedia and Wikidata. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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