Nickolas Ashford

Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).

Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Bronx, New York City. Afterwards, his family relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he became a member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. While there, he sang with a group called the Hammond Singers (named after the founding minister, James Hammond). Later, Nickolas attended and graduated from Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, before pursuing his professional career, where he would ultimately meet his wife, Valerie. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined an aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Good"), Maxine Brown ("One Step at a Time"), as well as the Shirelles, the Guess Who, and Chuck Jackson. Another of the trio's songs, " Let's Go Get Stoned," gave Ray Charles a number one U.S. R&B hit in 1966. That same year, Ashford & Simpson joined Motown, where their best-known songs included " Ain't No Mountain High Enough," " You're All I Need to Get By," " Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and " Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Ashford and Simpson wrote many other hit songs, including Chaka Khan's " I'm Every Woman" (1978) and "Is It Still Good to Ya?", originally recorded by the duo in 1978 and covered by Teddy Pendergrass in 1980.

As performers, Ashford & Simpson's best-known duets are "Solid" (1984) and " Found a Cure" (1979). The duo were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. They are also recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award, ASCAP Founders Award, and the Grammy Trustee Award. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked them No. 19 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

Career

Songwriters

The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful writing and producing team and the other as singers and performers themselves. They started their career in the mid-1960s, writing for artists such as the 5th Dimension (" California Soul"), Aretha Franklin ("Cry Like A Baby"), and Ray Charles (" Let's Go Get Stoned"). Their work with Charles brought them to the attention of Motown chief Berry Gordy.

Upon joining the Motown staff in 1966, Ashford & Simpson were paired with the vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and they wrote and/or produced all but one of the late-1960s Gaye/Terrell singles, including hits such as the original version of " Ain't No Mountain High Enough", " Your Precious Love", " Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", and " You're All I Need to Get By". According to Gaye in the book ''Divided Soul'', Simpson did most of the vocals on the last album he did with Terrell, '' Easy'', as a way for Terrell's family to have additional income, as she was battling an ultimately fatal brain tumor. Though Louvain Demps, singer of the Andantes, has stated that she saw Terrell recording the album, and Simpson is quoted as saying, in a book written by Terrell's sister, Ludie Montgomery, what they saw was her singing the guide tracks for the album, which were later replaced by Tammi's own vocals.

Ashford & Simpson wrote and produced almost all the songs on three 1970s albums for former Supreme Diana Ross, including her first solo album ''Diana Ross'' (" Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)") and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", '' Surrender'' ("Remember Me"), and '' The Boss''. All three albums were critically acclaimed with ''Diana Ross'', her 1970 album debut, and ''The Boss'' being certified platinum and "Surrender" certified gold.

Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Simpson worked with include Gladys Knight & the Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have to Cry Sometime", and after Motown they wrote and produced for this group "Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", and "Taste of Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ("Who's Gonna Take the Blame"), Syreeta Wright ("I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You"), the Marvelettes ("Destination: Anywhere"), Martha Reeves & the Vandellas ("Tear It On Down"), the Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"), Blinky Williams ("I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is"), and the Supremes with the Four Tops (original duets, plus the production of a hit cover of Phil Spector's "River Deep-Mountain High").

Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good to Ya"), the Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Stephanie Mills ("Keep Away Girls"), Chaka Khan, both on her own (" I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds"), and with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and " Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe").

Performers

Ashford & Simpson's career as recording artists began in the early 1960s as part of the gospel group the Followers, with whom they recorded the album ''Gospel Meeting'' (on Forum Circle), later issued as ''Meetin' The Followers'' (on Roulette Records). The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In 1964, they recorded "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick". That was followed by several obscure singles recorded by Ashford on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels, such as "It Ain't Like That" (later recorded by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas), " California Soul", and " Dead End Kids", backed by his own version of " Let's Go Get Stoned".

Simpson appeared (with Melba Moore) as part of the " Blood, Sweat & Tears Soul Chorus" on the band's debut album '' Child Is Father to the Man'' in 1968. After concentrating on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs " Bridge Over Troubled Water" and " What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums ''Gula Matari'' in 1970, and its follow-up, ''Smackwater Jack''.

Simpson subsequently recorded two solo LPs for Motown: ''Exposed'' in 1971, and, the following year, ''Valerie Simpson'', which included the single "Silly, Wasn't I", which was later sampled on 50 Cent's " Best Friend" from the movie, '' Get Rich or Die Tryin'''. The song was also sampled by 9th Wonder

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