Died On This Date (August 22, 2011) Nick Ashford / Ashford & Simpson

themusicsover August 22, 2011 1 Comments

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.

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