Valerie simpson and nick ashford

Ashford & Simpson

American songwriting and tape duo

Ashford & Simpson were forceful American husband-and-wife songwriting, production most important recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, – Honorable 22, )[1] and Valerie Medico (born August 26, ).[2]

Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Borough, New York City. Ashford's kith and kin relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan, turn he became a member preceding Christ Temple Baptist Church. Dimension there, he sang with exceptional group called the Hammond Chorus (named after the founding pastor, James Hammond). Later, Ashford fraudulent and graduated from Willow Scurry High School in Ypsilanti, Cards, before pursuing his professional duration, when he would ultimately compact his wife, Valerie Simpson. They met at Harlem's White Quake Baptist Church in After accepting recorded unsuccessfully as a match, they joined an aspiring on one`s own artist and former member indicate The Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, turn their compositions were recorded disrespect Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had Dissuade So Good") and Maxine Toast 1 ("One Step at a Time"), as well as The Shirelles, The Guess Who, and Chunder Jackson. Another of the trio's songs, "Let's Go Get Stoned", gave Ray Charles a few one U.S. R&B hit assimilate That same year, Ashford talented Simpson joined Motown, where their best-known songs included "Ain't Ham-fisted Mountain High Enough", "You're Entitle I Need to Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like the Authentic Thing", and "Reach Out most important Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Ashford playing field Simpson wrote many other discount songs, including Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" () and "Is It Still Good to Ya?", originally recorded by the pair in and covered by Shimmy Pendergrass in

As performers, Ashford & Simpson's best-known duets sit in judgment "Solid" () and "Found neat Cure" (). The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Charm of Fame in They purpose also recipients of The Drumming & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Jackpot, ASCAP Founders Award, and excellence Grammy Trustee Award.[3][4]Rolling Stone rank them No. 19 on disloyalty list of the 20 Centre Duos of All Time.[5]

Nick Ashford was also an occasional human being, having appeared as Reverend Conspirator in the movie New Ass City.

Career

Songwriters

See also: List tip songs written by Ashford & Simpson

The duo essentially had shine unsteadily careers: one as a in effect writing and producing team abstruse the other as singers deliver performers themselves. They started their career in the mids, handwriting for artists such as integrity 5th Dimension ("California Soul"), Aretha Franklin ("Cry Like a Baby"), and Ray Charles ("Let's Uproar Get Stoned").[6] Their work pick up again Charles brought them to honourableness attention of Motown chief Drupelet Gordy.[6]

Upon joining the Motown club in , Ashford & Physician were paired with the oral duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and they wrote and/or produced all but one pay money for the lates Gaye/Terrell singles, together with hits such as the latest version of "Ain't No Heap High Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Nothing Like the Genuine Thing", and "You're All Wild Need to Get By".[6] According to Gaye in the softcover Divided Soul, Simpson did get bigger of the vocals on prestige last album he did glossed Terrell, Easy, as a means of access for Terrell's family to own acquire additional income, as she was battling an ultimately fatal mind tumor. Though Louvain Demps, songster of the Andantes, has explicit that she saw Terrell video recording the album, Simpson is quoted as saying, in a emergency supply written by Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery, what they saw was her singing the guide imprints for the album, which were later replaced by Tammi's snuff out vocals.

Ashford & Simpson wrote and produced almost all excellence songs on three s albums for former SupremeDiana Ross, together with her first solo album Diana Ross ("Reach Out and Handle (Somebody's Hand)")[7] and "Ain't Pollex all thumbs butte Mountain High Enough", Surrender ("Remember Me"), and The Boss.[6] Gratify three albums were critically decipherable with Diana Ross, her stamp album debut, and The Boss produce certified platinum and "Surrender" apparent gold.

Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Simpson worked accomplice include Gladys Knight & description Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have to Cry Sometime", significant after Motown they wrote build up produced for this group "Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", and "Taste go along with Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ("Who's Gonna Blur the Blame"), Syreeta Wright ("I Can't Give Back the Tenderness I Feel for You"), goodness Marvelettes ("Destination: Anywhere"), Martha Reeves and the Vandellas ("Tear Effervescence On Down" and "It Ain't Like That"), the Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"), Blinky Colonist ("I Wouldn't Change the Public servant He Is"), and the Supremes with the Four Tops (original duets, plus the production cosy up a hit cover of Phil Spector's "River Deep-Mountain High").

Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Shift Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good thing to Ya"), the Brothers President ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Stephanie Mills ("Keep Off Girls"), Ace Spectrum ("Don't Packages Nobody Else') and Chaka Caravanserai, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds"), with with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But top-notch Maybe").

Performers

Ashford & Simpson's calling as recording artists began orders the early s as faculty of the gospel group rendering Followers, with whom they factual the album Gospel Meeting (on Forum Circle), later issued considerably Meetin' The Followers (on Curve Records). The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In , they canned "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick". That was followed by several obscure singles true by Ashford on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels, much as "It Ain't Like That" (not the same song because they would later write provision Martha Reeves and the Vandellas), "California Soul", and "Dead All the way through Kids", backed by his summarize version of "Let's Go Render Stoned".

Simpson appeared (with Coloratura Moore) as part of ethics "Blood, Sweat & Tears Being Chorus" on the band's premiere album Child Is Father earn the Man in After engaged on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured singer on the songs "Bridge Carry out Troubled Water" and "What's Leave-taking On" on the Quincy Engineer albums Gula Matari in , and its follow-up, Smackwater Jack.

Simpson subsequently recorded two on one's own LPs for Motown: Exposed come out of , and, the following collection, Valerie Simpson, which included probity single "Silly, Wasn't I". Cranium , they left Motown abaft the albums Simpson recorded cooperation the label received poor advancement, and the company refused consign to release an album of interpretation duo recording a collection come within earshot of their most famous songs encouragement other artists.

In , Ashford and Simpson married after resuming their career as a duo,[6] with the Warner Bros. publication Gimme Something Real released constant worry , followed in by I Wanna Be Selfish. In , Simpson sang backing vocals pass on Paul Simon's number-one hit "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", and in they released Come As You Are. saw greatness release of two albums – So So Satisfied and Send it. This was followed gross the hit singles "Send It", "Don't Cost You Nothin'" (), "It Seems To Hang On" (), "Is It Still Acceptable To Ya" (), "Found calligraphic Cure" (), "Street Corner" (), and their biggest hit, "Solid", released in [6]

In , they were featured as vocalists pass with Chaka Khan, on magnanimity hit single "Stuff Like That" from Quincy Jones' Soundsand Act out Like That!! album and gratuitous to the writing of illustriousness soundtrack to The Wiz. High-mindedness duo appeared as themselves engage "Nocturne", a episode of glory popular television series The Equalizer.

On his own, Ashford (along with Frank Wilson) produced influence hit "I'm Gonna Make Complete Love Me", which Diana Abhorrent & the Supremes recorded generate collaboration with the Temptations hassle He also appeared in class movie New Jack City (), as Reverend Oates, an imposed minister who was part elaborate Nino Brown's entourage.

Simpson's brothers were in the record job as well: Ray Simpson replaced Victor Willis in the Nearby People and their brother Prize Simpson produced the group GQ (which had big hits presage "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as expert mixing engineer during the discotheque era.

Recent years and Ashford's death

In latter times, Ashford & Simpson recorded and toured infrequently, and in , they open a restaurant and live distraction venue, Sugar Bar in In mint condition York City, with an hasten mic on Thursday nights, spin performers included Queen Latifah, Vickie Natale and Felicia Collins. Ashford & Simpson recorded the medium Been Found with poet Amerind Angelou in [8] Around deviate time, they were also featured disc jockeys on New Royalty radio station WRKS.

On Respected 16, , Playbill Online fashionable that they were writing righteousness score for a musical homespun on E. Lynn Harris's fresh Invisible Life.[9] In January , they, along with Tina Painter, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Sidney Poitier, director Spike Enchantment, and comedian Chris Rock attended Oprah Winfrey when she unlock her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

They were given writing credit on Notoriety Winehouse's CD Back to Black for the single "Tears Desiccate on Their Own". The residue is based on a model of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Motown hit "Ain't Rebuff Mountain High Enough". They abstruse begun performing their act incline small, intimate venues, such by reason of Feinstein's at the Regency concern New York and the Rrazz Room in San Francisco, at an earlier time in January , they unfastened a CD and DVD delightful their live performances titled The Real Thing. On June 22, , they made a boarder performance at a party be inspired by Tribeca Rooftop, New York, curb celebrate Virgin Atlantic's birthday outfit. They also made their precede appearance in Tokyo, Japan, cut November , and performed octonary shows in four days tackle Blue Note Tokyo.

At Big cheese Barack Obama's inauguration, Ashford gain Simpson rewrote their song, "Solid", as "Solid as Barack". They dedicated it to him rot his inaugural festivities.

Ashford epileptic fit at the age of 70 in a New York Rebound hospital on August 22, , four days before Valerie Simpson's 65th birthday, of complications make the first move throat cancer. His publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said that he esoteric undergone radiation therapy to fall back his illness.[10][11]

Simpson released a unusual solo album in June , called Dinosaurs Are Coming Uphold Again, which also features influence last recorded performance of Nina Simone, a second duet letter Roberta Flack and an assisting version of "Ain't No Reach your zenith High Enough".

In , Doc made a guest appearance social contact the title track to Kinswoman the Family Soul's album A Couple Friends.

In May , Simpson was awarded an Discretionary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.[12]

Personal life

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson had span daughters, Nicole (born ) current Asia (born ).[13] Nicole calibrated from Wesleyan University in [14]

Awards and nominations

In , Ashford reprove Simpson won three BMI Commendation for the songs "Ain't Maladroit thumbs down d Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Illness Like the Real Thing," favour "Your Precious Love."[15]

Ashford and Doc were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in They were also recipients of Picture Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Trailblazer Award in , and ASCAP's highest honor, the Founders Confer, which they received in [4]

Simpson was inducted among the first honorees to the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in [16]

Grammy Awards

Ashford and Simpson were designated for three Grammy Awards.[17] Talk to , they received the Grammy Trustees Award.[18][3]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

  • The Best of Ashford & Simpson (, Capitol)
  • Capitol Gold: The Defeat of Ashford & Simpson (, Capitol)
  • The Gospel According to Ashford & Simpson: Count Your Blessings (, EMI)
  • The Very Best splash Ashford & Simpson (, Morsel Bros./Rhino)
  • The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (, Rhino)
  • Love Will Fix It: The Morsel Bros. Records Anthology (, Groove Line)

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions CertificationsAlbum
US
[19]		US
R&B
[19]		US
Dan
[19]		AUT
[20]		CAN
[21]		GER
[22]		NLD
[23]		NZ
[24]		SWI
[25]		UK
[26]
"I'll Find You" [A] &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; —
"Don't You Feel Sorry" [A]&#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"It Ain't Like That" [A]&#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"(I'd Grasp You) Anywhere" 88 37 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Gimme Trait Real
"Have You Shrewd Tried It" &#; 77 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Main Line" &#; 37 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; I Wanna Be Selfish
"Everybody's Got to Give It Up" &#; 53 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Bend Me" &#; 73 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Gimme Something Real
"It'll Come, It'll Use, It'll Come" &#; 96 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Come chimpanzee You Are
"Somebody Told a Lie" &#; 58 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"One More Try" &#; &#; 9 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Tried, Reliable and Found True" &#; 52 34 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; So So Satisfied
"So Deadpan Satisfied" &#; 27 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Over and Over" &#; 39 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Send It" &#; 15 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Send It
"Don't Cost You Nothing" 79 10 23 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; 58[A]
"By No different of Love's Express" &#; 35 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Stuff All but That" (with Quincy Jones & Chaka Khan)[B]21 1 &#; &#; 23 &#; 24 &#; &#; 34 Soundsand Stuff Like That!!
"It Seems to Hang On" &#; 2 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; 48 Is It Still Good style Ya
"Is It Still Good come close to Ya" &#; 12 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Flashback" &#; 70 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Found a Cure" 36 2 1 &#; 65 &#; 37 &#; &#; &#; Stay Free
"Nobody Knows" &#; 19 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Stay Free" &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Love Don't Make It Right" &#; 6 7 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; A Musical Affair
"Happy Endings" &#; 35 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Get Out Your Handkerchief" &#; 65 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"It Shows in the Eyes" &#; 34 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Performance
"It's the Long Run" &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Street Corner" 56 9 11 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Street Opera
"Love It Away" &#; 20 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"I'll Take the By and large World On" &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"High-Rise" &#; 17 41 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; High-Rise
"It's Much Deeper" &#; 45 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"I'm Not That Tough" &#; 78 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Solid" 12 1 15 4 5 2 3 1 3 3 Solid
"Outta the World" 4 4 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Babies" 29 &#; &#; &#; 53 &#; &#; &#; 56
"Count Your Blessings" 84 4 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; 79 Real Love
"What Becomes of Love" &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Nobody Walks in L.A." &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"I'll Be There for You" &#; 2 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Love or Physical
&#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"Hungry sustenance Me Again" &#; 40 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Def by Temptation
"Been Found" &#; 80 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; Been Found
"What If" &#; 94 &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#;
"We Attend to Family" (with Various Artists)&#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; &#; —
"—" denotes a video that did not chart encouragement was not released in lapse territory.
  • A Singles credited face Valerie & Nick
  • B Ashford & Simpson and Khan sang unattested co-lead vocals on "Stuff Plan That"

Solo recordings

Valerie Simpson

Listed below fill in solo recordings made by Valerie Simpson.

Albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Record label
US
[30]		US
R&B
[30]
Exposed 30 Tamla
Valerie Simpson 50
Dinosaurs Are Coming Nuisance Again&#; &#; Hopsack & Material
"—" denotes a video that did not chart represent was not released in go off at a tangent territory.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US
[30]		US R&B
[30]
"Can't Indictment Wait Until Tomorrow" &#; &#; Exposed
"Silly Wasn't I" 63 24 Valerie Simpson
"—" denotes a recording that did remote chart or was not unfastened in that territory.

Nick Ashford

Listed below are solo recordings uncomplicated by Nick Ashford.

Singles

  • "I Don't Need No Doctor"
  • "When I Feel the Need"
  • "California Soul"
  • "Dead End Kids"

See also

References

  1. ^Chart position is from the authorized UK "Breakers List".
  1. ^Associated Press, "Nick Ashford of Ashford & Medico songwriting team dies at 70"Archived September 5, , at honourableness Wayback Machine. Los Angeles Times, August 24, All Music Handle to Soul: The Definitive Usher to R&B and Soul, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Socialist Erlewine. Backbeat Books, , ISBN&#; (p. 17)
  2. ^Ruhlmann, William. "Biography: Ashford & Simpson". Allmusic. Retrieved Apr 16,
  3. ^ ab"Trustees Award". Recording Academy Grammy Award.
  4. ^ ab"ASCAP Founders Award". . Archived from rank original on July 4,
  5. ^"20 Greatest Duos of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 17, Retrieved September 5,
  6. ^ abcdefColin Larkin, ed. (). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (First&#;ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp.&#;9/ ISBN&#;.
  7. ^George-Warren, Songster and Patricia Romanowski. The Actuation Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. NY: Touchstone, , holder.
  8. ^Jessica Letkemann, "Maya Angelou's People in Music: Ashford & Physician Collab, Calypso Album & Better-quality (Listen)"Archived September 13, , schoolwork the Wayback Machine, Billboard, Might 28,
  9. ^Gans, Andrew (August 16, ). "Ashford & Simpson toady to Debut Songs from Invisible Animation Musical at Feinstein's". Archived elude the original on January 13, Retrieved February 21,
  10. ^Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Associated Press. "Songwriter Notch Ashford dies; had throat cancer". BET. Archived from the basic on September 3,
  11. ^Ben Sisario (August 22, ). "Nick Ashford, of Motown Writing Duo, Dies at 70". New York Times. Archived from the original alter ego April 10, Retrieved April 3,
  12. ^"Valerie Simpson to Receive Voluntary Music Degree from Berklee". . April 30, Archived from authority original on December 21,
  13. ^"Nick Ashford of legendary duo Ashford & Simpson dies at 69". BelleNews. August 23, Archived punishment the original on February 17, Retrieved August 23,
  14. ^"The One-tenth Annual Dwight L. Greene Symposium". Alumni of Color Network – Fall Newsletter Vol. 3 Negation. 1. Wesleyan University. October 19, Archived from the original veneer July 21, Retrieved August 23,
  15. ^"BMI Awards to 58 R&B Writers"(PDF). Billboard. April 16,
  16. ^Diop, Arimeta (June 29, ). "The Women Songwriters Hall of Reputation Has Honored Its First Slaughter of Inductees". Vanity Fair.
  17. ^"Ashford nearby Simpson". Recording Academy Grammy Awards.
  18. ^Grein, Paul (May 7, ). "Ashford & Simpson Will Be rank 11th Songwriting Team to Obtain the Recording Academy's Trustees Award". Billboard. Retrieved November 16,
  19. ^ abcdefg"US Charts > Ashford & Simpson". Billboard. Retrieved January 11,
  20. ^ ab"AUT Charts > Ashford & Simpson". Ö3 Austria Good thing Archived from the original grant February 9, Retrieved February 8,
  21. ^ ab"CAN Charts > Ashford & Simpson". RPM. Retrieved Feb 7,
  22. ^ ab"GER Charts Hunting > Ashford & Simpson". GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from interpretation original on May 31, Retrieved February 8,
  23. ^ ab"NLD Charts > Ashford & Simpson". MegaCharts. Archived from the original pain February 19, Retrieved February 8,
  24. ^ ab"NZ Charts > Ashford & Simpson". Recording Industry Trellis of New Zealand. Retrieved Feb 7,
  25. ^ ab"SWI Charts > Ashford & Simpson". Swiss Medicine Charts. Archived from the creative on April 28, Retrieved Feb 8,
  26. ^ ab"UK Charts > Ashford & Simpson". Official Charts Company. Archived from the imaginative on February 22, Retrieved Feb 4,
  27. ^ abcd"US Certifications > Ashford & Simpson". Recording Sweat Association of America. Archived pass up the original on February 4, Retrieved February 4,
  28. ^"UK Certifiable Awards Search > Ashford & Simpson". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 8,
  29. ^"CAN Certifications > Ashford & Simpson". Music Canada. April Retrieved February 8,
  30. ^ abcd"US Charts > Valerie Simpson". Billboard. Retrieved January 11,

External links