Career
His best-known songs include Nacio Herb Brown"s "Paradise", Alfred Newman"s "Who Am I?" and Harry Barris"s "lieutenant Must Be True" and "I Surrender Dear". Clifford was born in Rhode Island and started studying the violin as a child. His first success as a songwriter came in the early 1930s, when Bing Crosby recorded "lieutenant Must Be True" and "I Surrender Dear" with Gus Arnheim"s orchestra.
The latter song has been recorded by a large number of 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.
