Michael Clifford (musician) explained

Michael Clifford
Birth Name:Michael Gordon Clifford
Birth Date:1995 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Quakers Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:Musician
Years Active:2011–present
Current Member Of:5 Seconds of Summer
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Child:yes
Children:1
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michaelclifford
Channel Name:michaelclifford
Years Active:2014–present
Followers:191K

Michael Gordon Clifford (born 20 November 1995) is an Australian musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. Since 2014, 5 Seconds of Summer have sold more than 10 million albums, sold over 2 million concert tickets worldwide, and the band's song streams surpass 7 billion, making them one of the most successful Australian musical exports in history.[1] [2] [3] [4]

Early life

Michael Gordon Clifford was born on 20 November 1995 and raised in the Quakers Hill suburb of Sydney, New South Wales which is northwest of the city.[5] He is the only child of parents Karen and Daryl Clifford, who ran a computer business based near Quakers Hill.[6] Michael Clifford attended Norwest Christian College where he befriended future band-mate Calum Hood in the third grade.[7] For his high-school education, Clifford attended Norwest Christian College where he met band-mate, Luke Hemmings in Year 7. He later said that he initially "hated" Hemmings for "a solid year"; they became friends and formed the band.[8] Clifford met future band-mate Ashton Irwin through mutual friends in Year 9. In a People magazine interview he reflected that he "spent a lot of time away from school". Clifford's irregular attendance resulted in him leaving high school when he was in year 10 instead completing a course at TAFE.[9] [10]

Growing up, Clifford took both singing lessons and piano lessons before quitting because he "hated" them. At the age of eleven, his parents bought him an acoustic guitar and Clifford began taking guitar lessons. In high-school, Clifford joined his school's church band as a guitarist.[11]

Career

See main article: 5 Seconds of Summer. In 2011, Clifford, Hood, and Hemmings began posting song covers on Hemmings' YouTube channel. The trio eventually added mutual friend Irwin to their videos, forming the current 5 Seconds of Summer lineup.[12]  After months of posting song covers together, the band began attracting interest from major music labels and publishers and initially signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing.[13] Clifford has since released five studio albums with the band, each met with worldwide success: 5 Seconds of Summer (2014), Sounds Good Feels Good (2015), Youngblood (2018), Calm (2020), and 5SOS5 (2022).

At the NAMM Show in January 2019, Clifford, in collaboration with Gibson, introduced the Michael Clifford Signature Melody Maker guitar. The guitar was released for purchase in May 2019, with Clifford citing his main inspiration for the guitar being his own first guitar, Joan Jett's Melody Maker.[14] He said that the goal of the Melody Maker was to "be an homage to the Joan Jett Melody Maker" and that he hoped the guitar would "inspire" someone, just as Jett inspired him. Clifford is the youngest guitarist to ever receive a custom guitar in his name.

In June 2019, it was revealed Clifford had partnered with Nightfood Ice Cream in developing a custom chocolate flavor for the brand.[15]

Apart from the band, Clifford has expressed interest in gaming.[16] His Twitch account, which he uses to live-stream game sessions, has amassed over 150,000 followers.[17] [18] During the Australian Bushfires of January 2020, Clifford held a charity Twitch live-stream, in which all proceeds were donated to Australian Red Cross.[19]

Personal life

Clifford has been diagnosed with anxiety and depression.[20] [21] Since the beginning of his career, Clifford has used his platform to raise awareness and be an advocate for mental health.[22] [23] [24] In June 2015, Clifford suffered minor face, hair, and shoulder injuries from a pyrotechnics accident during the band's Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour at the SSE Wembley Arena in London.[25]

In January 2019, Clifford posted on his Instagram account announcing his engagement to his girlfriend Crystal Leigh, a talent manager. On January 11, 2022 the couple announced their one-year anniversary, saying that they had gotten married in a private ceremony.[26] [27] On June 12, 2023, Clifford and his partner announced they are expecting their first child.[28] Their daughter, Lua Stevie Clifford, was born on October 30, 2023, though her birth wasn't announced until December 7.[29]

In 2019, it was reported that Clifford bought an eight-bedroom, 4-acre mansion in Los Angeles' Valley Village neighborhood located in San Fernando Valley.[30] In July 2020, Clifford's net worth was estimated to be US$20 million.[31]

Discography

See also: 5 Seconds of Summer discography.

Songwriting credits

List of songwriting credits, with recording artist(s), year released and album name show! Title! Year! Artist! Album! Notes
"And the sun will shine only for us"2015Lizard KissesIn The Morning b/w Close 7"Drums
"Wake Up"[32] 2018Black Veil BridesValeComposer

Notes and References

  1. 17 July 2019. Australia's Annual Music Exports Worth $13M: Report. 7 August 2020. Billboard.
  2. Web site: Why 5SOS are finally feeling the love in Australia. 7 August 2020. Sunshine Coast Daily. en.
  3. Web site: 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER: Umusic. dead. 27 July 2020. Umusic. en-US. 12 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200212064035/http://www.umusic.ca/press-releases/5-seconds-of-summer-announce-new-album-calm-out-march-27/.
  4. 31 January 2020. 5 Seconds of Summer. 27 July 2020. Billboard.
  5. Book: Hey, Lets Make a Band!. 2014. 978-0-06-236644-3. 25. Summer. 5. Seconds of. HarperCollins .
  6. Web site: Michael Clifford. 24 May 2020. People.
  7. Web site: 5 Seconds of Summer on their addiction to board games (and boots). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200412181440/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/5-seconds-of-summer-interview. 12 April 2020. 24 May 2020. British GQ. 3 April 2020.
  8. News: 5 Seconds of Summer Band Members Were Once Frenemies. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170515044235/http://people.com/celebrity/5-seconds-of-summer-band-members-were-once-frenemies/. 15 May 2017. 24 May 2020. People.com.
  9. Web site: 5SOS on leaving school to pursue music: 'We had to prove to our parents it was worth it'. 22 May 2020. Pressparty.
  10. Web site: Creswell. Toby. 9 March 2013. The songs may change but the story of a hit remains the same. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161021172433/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-songs-may-change-but-the-story-of-a-hit-remains-the-same-20130309-2fsb2.html. 21 October 2016. 22 May 2020. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. Doyle. Patrick. 8 January 2016. 21 Things We Learned Hanging Out With 5 Seconds of Summer. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190903162626/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/21-things-we-learned-hanging-out-with-5-seconds-of-summer-61205/. 3 September 2019. 24 May 2020. Rolling Stone.
  12. Web site: 14 May 2012. Meet 5 Seconds of Summer, Your Hosts For This Evenings Entertainment. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180923212331/http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/meet-5-seconds-of-summer-your-hosts-for-this-evenings-entertainment/. 23 September 2018. 24 May 2020. Music Feeds.
  13. News: Creswell. Toby. 30 July 2012. Smells Like Teen Spirit. The Age. Melbourne. 11 August 2012.
  14. Web site: Campbell. Rachel. 28 May 2019. Michael Clifford on "the best guitar that [he's] ever played"]. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190602143008/https://www.altpress.com/features/5sos-michael-clifford-gibson-melody-maker-joan-jett/. 2 June 2019. 23 May 2020. Alternative Press.
  15. Web site: 26 June 2019. Nightfood Ice Cream Partners with 5 Seconds of Summer's Michael Clifford. 24 May 2020. NOSH.
  16. Web site: Vidani. Peter. My Tech: Michael Clifford. 24 May 2020. Daily 5sos Updates. 29 June 2018 .
  17. Web site: Serra. Maria. 24 March 2020. 10 musicians streaming games and rocking out on Twitch. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200410160000/https://www.altpress.com/features/musicians-on-twitch/. 10 April 2020. 24 May 2020. Alternative Press.
  18. Web site: michaelclifford – Statistics. 11 August 2020. TwitchTracker.
  19. Web site: 19 January 2020. Michael Clifford to Host Charity Stream for Red Cross. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200226065048/https://thehoneypop.com/2020/01/18/michael-clifford-charity-livestream/. 26 February 2020. 24 May 2020. The Honey POP.
  20. Web site: Campbell. Rachel. August 12, 2018. "It gets bad before it gets better:" 5SOS's Michael Clifford on mental health. July 27, 2020. Alternative Press. en-US.
  21. Web site: 5SOS' Michael Clifford opens up about mental health on stage. 27 July 2020. EW.com. EN.
  22. Web site: In-Depth. 5SOS' Michael Clifford on Mental Health: Why You Should Listen. 27 July 2020. Fuse. en.
  23. Web site: 5SOS' Michael Opened Up About Seeing A Therapist And It's A Really Big Deal. July 27, 2020. PopBuzz. en.
  24. Web site: November 20, 2019. Michael Clifford Proves Real Bands Really DO Save Fans. July 27, 2020. The Honey POP. en-US.
  25. Web site: 14 June 2015. Five Seconds of Summer guitarist Michael Clifford burnt on stage. 27 July 2020. BBC Newsbeat. en-GB.
  26. Web site: Surprise! 5SOS's Michael Clifford and Crystal Leigh Married in a Secret Ceremony a Year Ago: 'So Special'. Peoplemag.
  27. Web site: Sector. Read. February 17, 2020. Michael Clifford confirms his wedding date, after revealing 5SOS will be his groomsmen. 31 March 2021. ReadSector. en-US.
  28. Web site: 5SOS's Michael Clifford and Wife Crystal Celebrate Daughter at Baby Shower: 'Feeling We Will Never Forget' . 2023-07-15 . Peoplemag . en.
  29. Web site: 5SOS's Michael Clifford and Wife Crystal Welcome First Baby, Daughter Lua: 'Forever Humbled' (Exclusive) . 2023-12-07 . Peoplemag . en.
  30. Web site: 9 January 2020. 5SOS guitarist Michael Clifford nabs a mansion where he can entertain. 27 July 2020. Los Angeles Times. en-US.
  31. Web site: The Richest Bands in the World. 27 July 2020. Finance.yahoo.com. 15 June 2020 . en-US.
  32. Web site: Wake Up – Black Veil Brides . . 27 July 2020.

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