Died On This Date (August 22, 2011) Nick Ashford / Ashford & Simpson
themusicsover Nick Ashford
May 4, 1942 – August 22, 2001
Nick Ashford was a respected songwriter, singer and producer, who with his wife Valerie Simpson made up one of popular music’s most successful hit-making teams. The pair got their start as songwriters during the mid ’60s when they penned such R&B staples as the 5th Dimension’s “California Soul,” Aretha Franklin’s “Cry Like A Baby,” and Ray Charles’ “Let’s Go Get Stoned” and “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” They quickly caught the eye of Motown’s Berry Gordy who hired them on to write songs for and produce many of the label’s acts. For Motown, Ashford and Simpson wrote such hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” and “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” to name just a few. Beyond Motown, the list of artists who scored hits with their songs includes Teddy Pendergrass, Chaka Khan, and the Brothers Johnson. As performers, Ashford and Simpson were a formidable force as well. They began making records together during the mid ’60s, but it was the late ’70s and early ’80s that saw their biggest hits like “Solid,” “Street Corner, and “Don’t Cost You Nothin’.” In 1992, Whitney Houston had a huge hit with their “I’m Every Woman” from The Bodyguard soundtrack. The song had originally been recorded by Chaka Khan. 1985 saw Ashford and Simpson become one of Live-Aid’s most memorable if not emotional moments when the brought Teddy Pendergrass on stage for his first public performance since an automobile accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Their performance of “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” that day struck a chord with viewers from the Philadelphia crowd to those watching on TV from around the world. The pair continued to perform and produce together and separately for many years to come while their songs continued to find new audiences, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” which was prominently sampled for Amy Winehouse’s single, “Tears Dry On Their Own.” Nick Ashford passed away on August 22, 2011 following a courageous battle with throat cancer. He was 70.
Thanks to Ken McCullagh at New Releases Now for the assist.
What You Should Own
Tony Ruffino was a respected Birmingham, Alabama concert promoter who in 1969, began bringing such acts as 
Joel Chin was the Director of A&R for the family run reggae dynasty known as VP Records. Founded in New York City in 1979 by Chin’s Jamaican-born grandparents, Patricia and Vincent Chin, VP has grown into the world’s largest independent reggae label. Its name has become synonymous with contemporary roots reggae, dancehall and soca. During the mid ’90s, Chin joined the family business – his father is legendary reggae producer, Clive Chin who has worked with Black Uhuru and 
Rich Fitzgerald was a greatly respected music industry professional who took his tireless passion for music and made a successful career out of it. Raised in Seattle, Washington, it was the young Fitzgerald who was likely turning his classmates on to the newest records. He went as far, it has been said, as creating his own pop charts and distributing them to his friends. Fitzgerald began his career working for Capitol Records there in Seattle, and by the mid 1970s, he was employed by one of the hottest new labels at the time, RSO Records, where he played a role in the success of such artists as the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, and Eric Clapton with whom he would build a lifelong business and personal relationship. He was also directly involved with the pop culture phenomenons known as Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Fame while at RSO. He went on to work for Network, Geffen, Reprise, and Warner Bros. Fitzgerald eventually rose to the position of Vice President of Promotions while at Warner Bros. where he helped such future stars as Madonna, Prince, Green Day, and the Pretenders get their first records played on radio. During his final years, Fitzgerald was working directly with Clapton. Rich Fitzgerald was 64 when he died of esophageal cancer on August 15, 2011.