Dates

• Existence: 4 November 1931 - 21 October 2009

Biography

Ian George Stopford Harrison aka Clifton Ford was born in Salford, Lancashire on 4 November 1931.

Clifton spent his early professional career working as a laboratory assistant. In 1957, aged twenty six, he decided to pursue a career as a singer and spent the next three summer seasons working at Butlins , while during the winter he was singing with a jazz band at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

He began his recording career with the Oriole record label and at this point he decided to change his name to Clifton Ford in order to glamorise his persona. From this point his career took off and he gained contracts to appear at the Royal Albert Hall and on popular television and radio shows such as Dodd's television show, Stars and Garters, Saturday Club, The Billy Cotton Band Show and The Good Old Days. Clifton had his first success with a cover of Old Shep in 1959 and toured theatres and musical halls with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen.

Although he continued to tour as late as the 1990s, he set up a guest house with his wife on the Isle of Man where he lived until his death on 21 October 2009.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: