Cliff Downs Passes Away at 72
Nashville, TN (April 24, 2026) – Cliff Downs, a respected figure in the music industry known for his multifaceted career as an artist, composer, producer, and publisher, died peacefully today after a long battle with cancer. He was 72 years old.
Downs began his career as a pop artist, signing with Atlantic Records under the legendary Ahmet Ertegun. As part of the 1980s duo Downes & Price with vocalist Jimmy Price, he released a self-titled album in 1986 featuring AOR/pop tracks. He later built a successful career in Nashville as a songwriter and producer with hits across pop, country, contemporary Christian, and jazz genres.
His songwriting credits include songs recorded by major artists such as Foreigner, Wynonna, Gabby Barrett, B.J. Thomas, Paul Rodgers, Glenn Campbell, and jazz artist Richard Elliott. Downs also made significant contributions to film and television.
His scores and songs appeared in major productions including the TNT movie Red Water, David Zucker’s film An American Carol, Red Dirt Rising and network shows such as Modern Family, MacGyver, General Hospital, One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and Sunset Beach. He won an Emmy for Best Original Song for “When I Think of You” from One Life to Live and received multiple Emmy nominations and awards. His music accumulated over 1,000 television placements and was featured in promos for The Voice, American Idol, the Super Bowl, Olympics coverage, and more.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel at Brentwood Baptist Church, located at 7777 Concord Road, Brentwood, Tennessee. Visitation will precede the service from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the same location.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Cliff’s honor to The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
About Cliff Downs:
Cliff Downs enjoyed a long and diverse career as a talented Atlantic Records artist (Downes & Price), Emmy-winning composer, hit songwriter, and producer. He will be remembered for his creative spirit, professional accomplishments across multiple genres, and the many lives he touched through his music.
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