Clifton “Clif” Magness (born April 24, 1957) 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".[2]
Magness worked with Lavigne on her multi-platinum[6] 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 Billboard's 200 Albums for 2002.[7] 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.[8] 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."[9]
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[10] featured two productions by Magness. He co-wrote and produced two songs from Clarkson's multi-platinum[11] 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,[12] "Perfect", for Vanessa Amorosi.