Nick Ashford, who with his wife Valerie Simpson helped establish the gold standard for R & B duo, both as songwriters and performers, died of throat cancer on Monday at a hospital in New York. He was 69.
Ashford & Simpson - Can not think of one without the other - has written and produced almost all of the 60 hits from Motown Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, including not no mountain high enough, you're all I need to get ahead there is nothing like the real thing and Your Precious Love. He also wrote hits from Chuck Jackson, The Shirelles, Maxine Brown and the Fifth Dimension.
Ray Charles '1966 No. 1 R & B hit Let's Get Stoned their file has been opened. They would later write and produce great Diana Ross solo hits, including his signature reach out and touch (a hand). They also wrote Chaka Khan I'm every woman, which was later recorded by Whitney Houston.
Although they had originally played together in 1964 as Valerie & Nick, after meeting a year ago at White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem, they do not quite get out of R & B stars, until in the late 70's and 80's with songs that will cost you nothing, it seems to hang on, found a cure, Solid corner. The voltage generated from the scene with the great harmonies trading Ashford sided with Simpson stuffy.
Ashford, who was born in Fairfield, SC, and raised in Willow Run, Michigan, wanted to be a dancer.
The couple, who had been married since 1974, joined the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. They recorded eight albums for Warner Bros., four of which went gold, five with Capitol and two independently. Their last album, 1996 has been found, was a collaboration with poet Maya Angelo.
They continued to host events run sporadically and often in their New York City Restaurant, Bar sugar.
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