Gordon Clifford (1902–June 11, 1968[1]) was an American lyricist who wrote music for Hollywood films in the 1930s. His best-known songs include Nacio Herb Brown's "Paradise", Alfred Newman's "Who Am I?" and Harry Barris's "It Must Be True" and "I Surrender Dear".[2][3]

Clifford was born in Rhode Island and started studying the violin as a child. In the 1920s, he wrote lyrics for The Rhythm Boys when they were appearing at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles.[1] His first success as a songwriter came in the early 1930s, when Bing Crosby recorded "It Must Be True" and "I Surrender Dear" with Gus Arnheim's orchestra. The latter song has been recorded by many artists and is considered a jazz standard. Pola Negri sang Clifford and Nacio Herb Brown's "Paradise" in the 1931 film A Woman Commands. Although the film was unsuccessful, Bing Crosby's cover version of "Paradise" became a hit.[2]

Clifford died in a traffic accident in Las Vegas on June 11, 1968.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Gordon Clifford, Songwriter, Dead in Traffic Crash". Stockton Evening and Sunday Record. Associated Press. June 12, 1968. p. 57.
  2. 1 2 Burlingame, Sandra. "Gordon Clifford". JazzBiographies.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Jasen, David A. (1988). Tin Pan Alley: The Composers, the Songs, the Performers and Their Times: The Golden Age of American Popular Music from 1886 to 1956. D.I. Fine. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-55611-099-3.
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