Ashford & Simpson
Encyclopedia
Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946), were a husband and wife songwriting/production
team and recording artists.
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in Bronx, New York. They met at Harlem
's White Rock Baptist Church in 1963. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined 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 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 Teddy Pendergrass
's "Is It Still Good to You". As performers, Ashford and Simpson's best-known duets are "Solid
" (1984 US and 1985 UK), and "Found a Cure
" (1979). The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
in 2002.
"), Aretha Franklin
("Cry Like A Baby"), and Ray Charles
("Let's Go Get Stoned" and "I Don't Need No Doctor
"). 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. (Simpson is quoted as denying this in a book written by Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery.)
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.
Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Simpson worked with include Gladys Knight & The Pips
("Didn't You Know You'd Have to Cry Sometime", "The Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", and "Taste of Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ("Who's Gonna Take the Blame"), The Marvelettes
("Destination:Anywhere"), The Supremes
("Some Things You Never Get Used To"), and The Dynamic Superiors
("Shoe, Shoe Shine").
Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Teddy Pendergrass
("Is It Still Good to You"), The Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Chaka Khan
, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman
" and "Clouds"), and Rufus
("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe").
). The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In 1964, they recorded "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick" This 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
". 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: Valerie Simpson 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
on Murs
's "Silly Girl" in the album Murray's Revenge
. Ashford & Simpson were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV show Soul!
, hosted by Ellis Haizlip
in 1971. In 1973, they left Motown after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion and the company refused to release an album of the duo recording a collection of their most famous songs for other artists.
In 1974, Ashford & Simpson married and resumed their career as a duo with the Warner Bros.
album, Gimme Something Real. This was followed by the hit singles, "Don't Cost You Nothin'" (1977), "It Seems To Hang On" (1978), "Is It Still Good to Ya" (1978), "Found A Cure" (1979), "Street Corner
" (1982), and their biggest hit, "Solid
", released in 1984.
In 1978, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan
, on the hit single "Stuff Like That
" from Quincy Jones
' Sounds... And Stuff Like That album and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz
.
Simpson appeared (with Melba Moore
) as part of the "Blood, Sweat & Tears
Soul Chorus" on the band's Al Kooper
lead debut, Child Is Father to the Man
.
On his own, Ashford (along with Frank Wilson
), produced the mammoth hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
", which Diana Ross & the Supremes recorded in collaboration with the Temptations
in 1968. He also appeared in the movie New Jack City
(1991), as Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino Brown's entourage.
Simpson's brothers were in the record business as well: Ray Simpson
replaced Victor Willis
in the Village People and their brother Jimmy Simpson produced the group GQ (which had big hits with "Disco Nights" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a mixing engineer during the disco
era.
, Sugar Bar in New York City
, which has an open mic on Thursday nights, where performers have included Queen Latifah
and Felicia Collins
. They recorded the album Been Found with poet Maya Angelou
in 1996. Around this time, they were also featured disc jockeys on New York radio station WRKS.
On August 16, 2006, Playbill Online reported that they were writing the score for a musical based on E. Lynn Harris
's novel Invisible Life.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/101441.html In January 2007, they, along with Tina Turner
, Mary J. Blige
, Mariah Carey
, Sidney Poitier
, director Spike Lee
, and comedian Chris Rock
accompanied Oprah Winfrey
when she opened her Leadership Academy for Girls
in South Africa
.
They were given writing credit on Amy Winehouse
's 2007 CD Back to Black
for the single "Tears Dry On Their Own
". The track is based on a sample
of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 1967 Motown classic hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". They had begun performing their act in small, intimate venues, such as Feinstein's at the Regency in New York and the Rrazz Room in San Francisco, and in January 2009, they released a CD and DVD of their live performances titled The Real Thing. On June 22, 2009, they made a guest performance at a party at Tribeca Rooftop, New York, to celebrate Virgin Atlantic's birthday party. They also made their first appearance in Tokyo
, Japan
, in November 2009, and performed 8 shows in 4 days at Blue Note Tokyo.
Ashford died in a New York City hospital on August 22, 2011, of complications from throat cancer. Nick's publicist Liz Rosenberg said that he had undergone radiation therapy
to treat his illness.
Nicole graduated from Wesleyan University
in 1997.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
team and recording artists.
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in Bronx, New York. They met at Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
's White Rock Baptist Church in 1963. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined 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
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
("Never Had It So Good"), Maxine Brown
Maxine Brown (soul singer)
Maxine Ella Brown is an American soul and R&B singer.-Background and career:Maxine Brown began singing as a child, performing with two New York based gospel groups called the Angelairs and the Royaltones when she was a teenager...
] ("One Step At A Time"), as well as the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
. Another of the trio's songs, "Let's Go Get Stoned
Let's Go Get Stoned (Ray Charles song)
"Let's Go Get Stoned" is an R&B song originally recorded by The Coasters in May 1965. It was written by Ashford & Simpson and Josephine Armstead....
", gave Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
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
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes...
", "You're All I Need To Get By
You're All I Need to Get By
"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J...
", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
-Marcella Detroit & Elton John version:"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" was recorded by Elton John as a duet with Marcella Detroit, and featured on his 1993 album Duets. It was also later included on Detroit's 1994 album Jewel. Released as a two-part CD single single in May 1994, it peaked at...
", and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
"Reach Out and Touch " was the debut solo single for Motown singer Diana Ross, released in April 1970.Ross, having just left The Supremes after a decade of serving as that group's lead singer, went through a difficult situation trying to piece a solo album together...
". Ashford and Simpson wrote many other hit songs including Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
's "I'm Every Woman
I'm Every Woman
"I'm Every Woman" is a hit song recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978. It was Chaka Khan's first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus; the song was included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie...
" (1978) and Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
's "Is It Still Good to You". As performers, Ashford and Simpson's best-known duets are "Solid
Solid (song)
"Solid" is a hit single recorded by the husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. It was featured on their album, also titled Solid and released as a single in late 1984....
" (1984 US and 1985 UK), and "Found a Cure
Found a Cure
"Found A Cure" is a 1979 single by Ashford & Simpson, from their album, Stay Free. Along with the title track and the song, "Nobody Knows", "Found A Cure" hit number one on the dance/disco chart for two weeks. The tracks replaced Diana Ross's album, The Boss, which was produced by Ashford & Simpson...
" (1979). The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
in 2002.
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 SoulCalifornia Soul
"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968...
"), Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
("Cry Like A Baby"), and Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
("Let's Go Get Stoned" and "I Don't Need No Doctor
I Don't Need No Doctor
"I Don't Need No Doctor" was a hit song written by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead, and first recorded by Ray Charles in 1966. Over the years, it has been covered by bands such as garage rock band The Chocolate Watch Band in 1969, Humble Pie in 1971, New Riders of the Purple Sage in...
"). Their work with Charles brought them to the attention of Motown chief Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
.
Upon joining the Motown staff in 1966, Ashford & Simpson were paired with the vocal duo Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
and Tammi Terrell
Tammi Terrell
Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed...
, 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
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes...
", "Your Precious Love
Your Precious Love
"Your Precious Love" is a popular song that was a 1967 hit for Motown singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson and produced by Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol, the doo-wop styled recording features background vocals by Fuqua, Gaye, Terrell and Bristol,...
", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
-Marcella Detroit & Elton John version:"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" was recorded by Elton John as a duet with Marcella Detroit, and featured on his 1993 album Duets. It was also later included on Detroit's 1994 album Jewel. Released as a two-part CD single single in May 1994, it peaked at...
", and "You're All I Need to Get By
You're All I Need to Get By
"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J...
". According to Gaye in the book Divided Soul, Simpson did most of the vocals on the last album he did with Terrell, Easy
Easy (Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell album)
Easy is an album recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and released by Motown Records on September 16, 1969 under the Tamla Records label. One song on the album, "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By", was a hit single and remains popular to this day. Terrell had been ill, suffering from...
, as a way for Terrell's family to have additional income as she was battling an ultimately fatal brain tumor. (Simpson is quoted as denying this in a book written by Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery.)
Ashford & Simpson wrote and produced almost all the songs on three 1970s albums for former Supreme
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, including her first solo album Diana Ross ("Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
"Reach Out and Touch " was the debut solo single for Motown singer Diana Ross, released in April 1970.Ross, having just left The Supremes after a decade of serving as that group's lead singer, went through a difficult situation trying to piece a solo album together...
" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"), Surrender
Surrender (Diana Ross album)
Surrender was a 1971 album by singer Diana Ross, her third solo LP for the Motown label.Ross' previous album, Everything is Everything, failed to generate interest due to Motown's rush and hurried efforts to further Ross' solo career, and did not chart as highly as expected. Surrender, however, was...
("Remember Me
Remember Me (Diana Ross song)
"Remember Me" is a 1970 single recorded and released by singer Diana Ross on the Motown label. The song was Ross' third top forty pop hit within a year peaking at number sixteen on the US pop singles chart, number ten on the US soul chart, and reaching the top ten in the UK, where it peaked at...
"), and The Boss.
Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Simpson worked with include Gladys Knight & The Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
("Didn't You Know You'd Have to Cry Sometime", "The Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", and "Taste of Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ("Who's Gonna Take the Blame"), The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes were an American singing girl group on the Tamla label. Motown's first successful female vocal group, the Marvelettes are most notable for recording the company's first #1 Pop hit, "Please Mr...
("Destination:Anywhere"), The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
("Some Things You Never Get Used To"), and The Dynamic Superiors
The Dynamic Superiors
The Dynamic Superiors are a Motown group from Washington, D.C., United States.The group formed in 1963 with members Tony Washington , George Spann , George Peterback, Jr. , Michael McCalpin , and Maurice Washington . After a ten year wait, they received their first recording contract in 1974...
("Shoe, Shoe Shine").
Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
("Is It Still Good to You"), The Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman
I'm Every Woman
"I'm Every Woman" is a hit song recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978. It was Chaka Khan's first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus; the song was included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie...
" and "Clouds"), and Rufus
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
("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 RecordsRoulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
). The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In 1964, they recorded "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick" This was followed by several obscure singles recorded by Ashford on the Glover, Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
and ABC
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
labels, such as "It Ain't Like That" (later recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas), "California Soul
California Soul
"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968...
", and "Dead End Kids
Dead End Kids
The Dead End Kids were a group of young actors from New York who appeared in Sidney Kingsley's Broadway play Dead End in 1935. In 1937 producer Samuel Goldwyn brought all of them to Hollywood and turned the play into a film...
", backed by his own version of "Let's Go Get Stoned
Let's Go Get Stoned
"Let's Go Get Stoned" is a name of a song by multiple artists:*Let's Go Get Stoned , performed by The Coasters, Ray Charles and Joe Cocker, among others*Let's Go Get Stoned...
". After concentrating on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
" and "What's Going On
What's Going On
What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971, on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records...
" on the Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
albums Gula Matari in 1970, and its follow-up, Smackwater Jack. Simpson subsequently recorded two solo LPs for Motown: Valerie Simpson Exposed in 1971, and, the following year, Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly, Wasn't I", which was later sampled on 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
's "Best Friend" from the movie Get Rich or Die Tryin'. The song was also sampled by 9th Wonder
9th Wonder
Patrick Douthit , better known as 9th Wonder is a hip hop record producer, record executive, DJ, professor, and lyricist from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A. He began his career as the main producer for the hip hop group Little Brother, and has also worked with Mary J...
on Murs
Murs
Murs may refer to:*Murs , American rapper*Multi-Use Radio ServiceFrench communes*Murs, Indre*Murs, Vaucluse*Murs-et-Gélignieux, Ain département*Mûrs-Erigné, Maine-et-Loire département...
's "Silly Girl" in the album Murray's Revenge
Murray's Revenge
Murray's Revenge is the second collaboration album from California rapper Murs and North Carolina producer 9th Wonder . Like their first collaboration, Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition, the album features ten songs, all produced by 9th Wonder, and is less than 40 minutes long...
. Ashford & Simpson were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV show Soul!
Soul!
Soul! or SOUL! was a pioneering performance/variety television program in the late 1960s and early 1970s produced by New York City PBS affiliate, WNET...
, hosted by Ellis Haizlip
Ellis Haizlip
Ellis Haizlip was an African American theater and television producer. A 1954 graduate of Howard University, he helped many artists progress in their careers, including actress Anna Maria Horsford and singers Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. He served as executive producer of the Public...
in 1971. In 1973, they left Motown after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion and the company refused to release an album of the duo recording a collection of their most famous songs for other artists.
In 1974, Ashford & Simpson married and resumed their career as a duo with the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
album, Gimme Something Real. This was followed by the hit singles, "Don't Cost You Nothin'" (1977), "It Seems To Hang On" (1978), "Is It Still Good to Ya" (1978), "Found A Cure" (1979), "Street Corner
Street Corner
Street Corner may refer to:* Street Corner , a black-and-white short film* Street Corner , a drama exploitation film* Street Corner , a black-and-white drama film...
" (1982), and their biggest hit, "Solid
Solid (song)
"Solid" is a hit single recorded by the husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. It was featured on their album, also titled Solid and released as a single in late 1984....
", released in 1984.
In 1978, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, on the hit single "Stuff Like That
Stuff Like That
"Stuff Life That" is a hit song with music and lyrics written by Quincy Jones, Ashford & Simpson, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Ralph MacDonald and Richard Tee. The song was originally an instrumental rhythm track. Jones worked on the track with Ashford & Simpson, Chaka Khan and studio musicians Gadd,...
" from Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
' Sounds... And Stuff Like That album and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
.
Simpson appeared (with Melba Moore
Melba Moore
Beatrice Melba Smith , known by her stage name, Melba Moore is an American disco, R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.-Early life:...
) as part of the "Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
Soul Chorus" on the band's Al Kooper
Al Kooper
Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
lead debut, Child Is Father to the Man
Child Is Father to the Man
Child Is Father to the Man is the debut album by Blood, Sweat & Tears, released in February of 1968. It reached number 47 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart.-History:...
.
On his own, Ashford (along with Frank Wilson
Frank Wilson (musician)
Frank Wilson is an African American former songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.-Biography:He was born to James Wilson and Samantha Gibbs...
), produced the mammoth hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is a soul song most popularly released as a joint single performed by Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations for the Motown label...
", which Diana Ross & the Supremes recorded in collaboration with the Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
in 1968. He also appeared in the movie New Jack City
New Jack City
New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
(1991), as Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino Brown's entourage.
Simpson's brothers were in the record business as well: Ray Simpson
Ray Simpson
Ray Simpson is the replacement lead singer and "Cop" of noted musical group Village People. Victor Willis is the original lead singer. Like his predecessor, Victor Willis, Simpson is straight...
replaced Victor Willis
Victor Willis
Victor Edward Willis is a singer, songwriter, actor; and most known as the original lead singer of the disco group Village People. His persona was the Cop and Naval Officer....
in the Village People and their brother Jimmy Simpson produced the group GQ (which had big hits with "Disco Nights" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a mixing engineer during the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
era.
Recent years and death
In recent times, Ashford & Simpson recorded and toured sporadically, and in 1996, they opened the restaurant and live entertainment venueMusic venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
, Sugar Bar in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which has an open mic on Thursday nights, where performers have included Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
and Felicia Collins
Felicia Collins
Felicia Collins is an American vocalist, guitarist and occasional percussionist, best known for her work on the CBS television program The Late Show with David Letterman, as part of the CBS Orchestra.She was born in New York City and grew up in Albany, New York.-Beginnings in music:While enrolled...
. They recorded the album Been Found with poet Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
in 1996. Around this time, they were also featured disc jockeys on New York radio station WRKS.
On August 16, 2006, Playbill Online reported that they were writing the score for a musical based on E. Lynn Harris
E. Lynn Harris
Everette "E." Lynn Harris was an American author. Openly gay, he was best known for his depictions of African American men who were on the down-low and closeted...
's novel Invisible Life.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/101441.html In January 2007, they, along with Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
, director Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, and comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
accompanied Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
when she opened her Leadership Academy for Girls
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa is a girls-only boarding school that officially opened in January 2007 in Henley on Klip near Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, South Africa...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
They were given writing credit on Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
's 2007 CD Back to Black
Back to Black
Back to Black is the second studio album by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. It is the last album released in her lifetime. The album incorporates 1960s soul music styles and modern R&B production, with subjective lyrics that concern...
for the single "Tears Dry On Their Own
Tears Dry on Their Own
"Tears Dry on Their Own" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse for her second studio album, Back to Black . It was released as the album's fourth single on 31 July 2007...
". The track is based on a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 1967 Motown classic hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". They had begun performing their act in small, intimate venues, such as Feinstein's at the Regency in New York and the Rrazz Room in San Francisco, and in January 2009, they released a CD and DVD of their live performances titled The Real Thing. On June 22, 2009, they made a guest performance at a party at Tribeca Rooftop, New York, to celebrate Virgin Atlantic's birthday party. They also made their first appearance in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in November 2009, and performed 8 shows in 4 days at Blue Note Tokyo.
Ashford died in a New York City hospital on August 22, 2011, of complications from throat cancer. Nick's publicist Liz Rosenberg said that he had undergone radiation therapy
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...
to treat his illness.
Personal life
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson have two daughters, Nicole (born in 1975), and Asia (born in 1987).Nicole graduated from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1997.
Valerie Simpson
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||||
| 1971 | Exposed | — | — | Motown Motown Records Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit... |
||
| 1972 | Valerie Simpson | 162 | 50 | |||
| 1977 | Keep It Comin | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Ashford & Simpson
| Year | Album | Chart positions | US certifications |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||||
| 1973 | Gimme Something Real | 156 | 18 | — | — | Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies... |
| 1974 | I Wanna Be Selfish | 195 | 21 | — | — | |
| 1976 | Come as You Are | 189 | 35 | — | — | |
| 1977 | So So Satisfied | 180 | 30 | — | — | |
| Send It | 52 | 10 | — | Gold | ||
| 1978 | Is It Still Good to Ya | 20 | 1 | — | Gold | |
| 1979 | Stay Free | 23 | 3 | — | Gold | |
| 1980 | A Musical Affair | 38 | 8 | — | — | |
| 1981 | Performance | 125 | 45 | — | — | |
| 1982 | Street Opera | 45 | 5 | — | — | Capitol Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
| 1983 | High-Rise | 84 | 14 | — | — | |
| 1984 | Solid | 29 | 1 | 42 | Gold | |
| 1986 | Real Love | 74 | 12 | — | — | |
| 1989 | Love or Physical | 135 | 28 | — | — | |
| 1996 | Been Found | — | 49 | — | — | Hopsack & Silk |
| 2009 | The Real Thing | — | 59 | — | — | Burgundy Records |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | ||||||
Valerie Simpson
- 1971: "Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow"
- 1972: "Silly Wasn't I" – US #63, R&B #24
Ashford & Simpson
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance |
US A/C |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1964 | "I'll Find You" (credited as Valerie & Nick) | 117 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Somebody's Lying on Love" (credited as Valerie & Nick) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "You Don't Owe Me Anything" (credited as Valerie & Nick) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "(I'd Know You) Anywhere" | 88 | 37 | — | — | — | Gimme Something Real |
| 1974 | "Have You Ever Tried It" | — | 77 | — | — | — | |
| "Main Line" | — | 37 | — | — | — | I Wanna Be Selfish | |
| "Everybody's Got to Give It Up" | — | 53 | — | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Bend Me" | — | 73 | — | — | — | Gimme Something Real |
| 1976 | "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come" | — | 96 | — | — | — | Come as You Are |
| "Somebody Told a Lie" | — | 58 | — | — | — | ||
| "One More Try" | — | — | 9 | — | — | ||
| "Tried, Tested and Found True" | — | 52 | 34 | — | — | So So Satisfied | |
| 1977 | "So So Satisfied" | — | 27 | — | — | — | |
| "Over and Over" | — | 39 | — | — | — | ||
| "Send It" | — | 15 | — | — | — | Send It | |
| 1978 | "Don't Cost You Nothing" | 79 | 10 | 23 | — | — | |
| "By Way of Love's Express" | — | 35 | — | — | — | ||
| "It Seems to Hang On" | — | 2 | — | — | 48 | Is It Still Good to Ya | |
| "Is It Still Good to Ya" | — | 12 | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Flashback" | — | 70 | — | — | — | |
| "Found a Cure Found a Cure "Found A Cure" is a 1979 single by Ashford & Simpson, from their album, Stay Free. Along with the title track and the song, "Nobody Knows", "Found A Cure" hit number one on the dance/disco chart for two weeks. The tracks replaced Diana Ross's album, The Boss, which was produced by Ashford & Simpson... " |
36 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Stay Free | |
| "Nobody Knows" | — | 19 | — | — | |||
| "Stay Free" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "Love Don't Make It Right" | — | 6 | 7 | — | — | A Musical Affair |
| "Happy Endings" | — | 35 | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Get Out Your Handkerchief" | — | 65 | — | — | — | |
| "It Shows in the Eyes" | — | 34 | — | — | — | Performance | |
| "It's the Long Run" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "Street Corner" | 56 | 9 | 11 | — | — | Street Opera |
| "Love It Away" | — | 20 | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "I'll Take the Whole World On" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "High-Rise" | — | 17 | 41 | — | — | High-Rise | |
| "It's Much Deeper" | — | 45 | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "I'm Not That Tough" | — | 78 | — | — | — | |
| "Solid Solid (song) "Solid" is a hit single recorded by the husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. It was featured on their album, also titled Solid and released as a single in late 1984.... " |
12 | 1 | 15 | 34 | 3 | Solid | |
| 1985 | "Outta the World" | 102 | 4 | 4 | — | — | |
| "Babies" | 102 | 29 | — | — | 56 | ||
| 1986 | "Time Talkin'" | — | — | — | — | — | Time |
| "Count Your Blessings" | 84 | 4 | — | — | 79 | Real Love | |
| "What Becomes of Love" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Nobody Walks in L.A." | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "I'll Be There for You" | — | 2 | — | — | — | Love or Physical |
| "Cookies and Cake" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Hungry for Me Again" | — | 40 | — | — | — | Def by Temptation |
| 1996 | "Been Found" | — | 80 | — | — | — | Been Found |
| 1997 | "What If" | — | 94 | — | — | — | |
| 2001 | "We Are Family We Are Family (song) "We Are Family" is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to... " (with Various Artists) |
— | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | |||||||
See also
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
External links
- Nickolas Ashford Profile and Nickolas Ashford Song Catalog at Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Valerie Simpson Profile and Valerie Simpson Song Catalog at Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Ashford and Simpson information site
- Sugar Bar official website
- Ashford & Simpson interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' March 2007 (reprinted August 2011)
- Billboard magazine review of Sugar Bar
- Ashford & Simpson at Wenig-LaMonica Associates
- Most Recent Photos Of Ashford And Simpson
- Ashford and Simpson 2009 Interview at Soulinterviews.com