Nick Ashford

Ashford & Simpson were a 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. 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 Harlems 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 and Chuck Jackson. Another of the trios songs, Lets 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 Aint No Mountain High Enough, Youre All I Need To Get By, Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing, and Reach Out and Touch (Somebodys Hand). Ashford and Simpson wrote many other hit songs, including Chaka Khans Im Every Woman (1978) and Teddy Pendergrasss Is It Still Good to You?.As performers, Ashford & Simpsons best-known duets are Solid and Found a Cure (1979). The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Ashford and Simpson were also recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundations Pioneer Award in 1999, and ASCAPs highest honor, the Founders Award, which they received on March 18, 1996.

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