Michael Gordon Clifford was born on November 20, 1995. He is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician best known as the lead guitarist for 5 Seconds of Summer. The pop band has sold over 10 million albums and over two million concert tickets worldwide since 2014, and the band’s song streams have surpassed seven billion, making them one of Australia’s most successful musical exports in history. Learn more about Clifford as we celebrate his birthday.
Fast Facts
Full Name:
Michael Gordon Clifford
Nickname:
Mikey
Birth date:
November 20, 1995
Age:
28 years, 5 months
Zodiac Sign:
Scorpio
Height:
6' 0"
Relationship Status:
Married
Net Worth:
$20.0 million
Background
Michael Gordon Clifford was born on November 20, 1995. He grew up in the Sydney suburb of Quakers Hill, New South Wales, Australia. He is the only child of computer business owners Karen and Daryl Clifford, who lived outside of Sydney. Clifford went to Norwest Primary School, where he met future bandmate Calum Hood in third grade. Clifford attended Norwest Christian College for his high school education, where he met bandmate Luke Hemmings in Year 7. He admitted that he disliked Hemmings before they became friends and formed the band. Clifford met future bandmate Ashton Irwin through mutual friends, he later admitted in an interview with “People” magazine that he “spent a lot of time away from school,” and his irregular attendance eventually led to him dropping out of high school when he was enrolling in a TAFE course.Clifford first learned to play the guitar when he was eight years old, thanks to the video game “Guitar Hero.” Clifford took singing and piano lessons as a child before abandoning them because he hated them. Clifford began taking guitar lessons when he was eleven years old after his parents purchased him an acoustic guitar. Clifford began playing the violin in high school when he joined his school’s church band. Clifford, Hood, and Hemmings began uploading song covers to Hemmings’ YouTube channel in 2011. The trio was eventually joined in their videos by mutual friend Ashton Irwin, forming the current 5 Seconds of Summer lineup. After months of posting song covers together, the band began to pique the interest of major music labels and publishers, and they initially signed a publishing deal with Sony/A.T.V. Music Publishing. Clifford has since released four studio albums with the band, all of which have achieved international success: “5 Seconds of Summer” in 2014, “Sounds Good Feels Good” in 2015, “Youngblood” in 2018, and “Calm” in 2020.Clifford, in collaboration with Gibson, unveiled the Michael Clifford Signature Melody Maker guitar at the NAMM Show in January 2019. He cited his first guitar, Joan Jett’s Melody Maker, as his main inspiration for the guitar, which was released for purchase in May 2019. He stated that the goal of his Melody Maker was to “pay homage to the Joan Jett Melody Maker” and that he hoped the guitar would inspire someone in the same way that Jett had inspired him. Clifford is the youngest guitarist ever to have a custom guitar made in his honor. He announced in June 2019 that he had collaborated with Nightfood Ice Cream to create a custom chocolate flavor for the brand. Clifford has expressed an interest in gaming aside from the band, which he has since pursued. His Twitch account, where he livestreams game sessions, has over 150,000 followers. He also held a charity Twitch livestream during the Australian bushfires in January 2020, with all proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross.
Career timeline
Clifford and his friends form 5 Seconds of Summer and start uploading song covers to their YouTube channel.
Clifford and his band release their self-titled debut studio album "5 Seconds of Summer" under the Capitol Records label.
Clifford and his band release their third studio album, "Youngblood," which meets with positive reviews.
Clifford and his band release their fourth studio album on March 27, receiving praise from critics for the band's lyrical growth and maturity.
Clifford and his long-term girlfriend announce their first anniversary on January 11, claiming to have married a year before in a secret ceremony.
Michael Clifford FAQs
Who is Michael Clifford’s wife?
Clifford dated Crystal Leigh for three years before they got married in a private ceremony on January 11, 2022.
Is Michael Clifford’s house on Airbnb?
Clifford and his wife spent $2 million on a home that included eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a studio, a gym, a fire pit, a B.B.Q., and a cinema room. His fans have discovered that it is for rent on Airbnb. Not only that, but one fan stayed there and filmed inside the house to show people exactly what it’s like.
Is Michael Clifford younger than his wife?
Crystal Leigh, Clifford’s wife, was born on June 23, 1989, making her 32 years old and 6 years older than Clifford, who is 26.
5 Surprising Facts
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He fears small crowd performances
Clifford finds it more frightening to perform in front of small crowds, but he enjoys performing in front of large crowds because the atmosphere is more relaxing.
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Sad movies make him emotional
Clifford admits that he is not ashamed of getting emotional and sobbing during a sad movie, but he would not do so in front of his spouse.
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He loves cartoons
Clifford enjoys watching cartoons, his favorite being "Dragon Ball Z," and his favorite superhero is Spider-Man.
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He has many tattoos
Clifford has numerous tattoos, including one that reads "To The Moon" on his left arm and another with the letter 'X' on his middle finger.
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His fans interact with him in humorous ways
Clifford's fans did some strange and funny things when they met him; once, a fan gave him a paper to sign, and he later discovered that he had accidentally signed an adoption paper for the fan.
Why We Love Michael Clifford
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He loves his fans
Clifford adores his fans, and one of his favorite aspects of being in 5 Seconds of Summer is meeting and interacting with them. A pinned tweet on his Twitter feed shows just how much his fans mean to him: “Real bands save fans, real fans save bands.”
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He gets excited about other musicians
Clifford has millions of fans worldwide, but he is also a big fan of many other musicians. When Ariana Grande asked him a question and Nick Jonas touched his hand, he became overjoyed.
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He is close with his bandmates
Clifford and his 5 Seconds of Summer bandmates have a strong friendship — they have been friends since they were children. They enjoy performing together and look out for one another.
Michael Clifford’s birthday dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | November 20 | Sunday |
| 2023 | November 20 | Monday |
| 2024 | November 20 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | November 20 | Thursday |
| 2026 | November 20 | Friday |
