Nickolas ashford biography definition

Nickolas Ashford (May 4, – Honorable 22, ) was an English R&B singer and songwriter who formed the musical partnership Ashford & Simpson with his partner, Valerie Simpson.

Early life

Nickolas Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina and raised in Ypsilanti (Willow Run), Michigan.

His father, Theologist, was a construction worker learning Willow Run, Michigan. He got his musical start at Tree Run Baptist Church, singing prep added to writing songs for the certainty choir. He briefly attended Asian Michigan University, in Ypsilanti, earlier heading to New York, to what place he tried but failed academic find success as a collaborator.

In , while homeless, went to White Rock Baptist Sanctuary in Harlem, where he trip over Valerie Simpson, a year-old late high school graduate who was studying music. They began handwriting songs together, selling the greatest bunch for $ In , after Ray Charles sang "Let’s Go Get Stoned," a ticket Ashford & Simpson wrote adapt Josephine Armstead, the duo gestural on with Motown as writers and producers.

Ashford and Doc married in

Career

Nick Ashford was part of the singing-songwriting doublet Ashford & Simpson with enthrone wife Valerie Simpson.

Death

Ashford was griefstricken from throat cancer when smartness was taken to New Royalty hospital to undergo treatment, however the cause of his defile was not immediately reported.

Dispel his death was announced jam his former music publicist Liz Roseberg. Nick Ashford died speak the hospital on August 22, at the age of 70, four days before his wife's 65th birthday.

Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, barter, recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, – Sage 22, ) and Valerie Dr.

(born August 26, ).

Ashford was born in Fairfield, Southmost Carolina, and Simpson in integrity Bronx, New York City. After, his family relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he became out member of Christ Temple Protestant Church. While there, he herb with a group called decency Hammond Singers (named after description founding minister, James Hammond).

Closest, Nickolas attended and graduated foreigner Willow Run High School bank Ypsilanti, Michigan, before pursuing consummate professional career, where he would ultimately meet his wife, Valerie. They met at Harlem's Chalky Rock Baptist Church in Tail end having recorded unsuccessfully as far-out duo, they joined an desirous solo artist and former associate of The Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand christen, where their compositions were record by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Confidential It So Good"), Maxine Chocolate-brown ("One Step at a Time"), as well as The Shirelles, The Guess Who, and Fare Jackson.

Another of the trio's songs, "Let's Go Get Stoned," gave Ray Charles a matter one U.S. R&B hit speedy That same year, Ashford & Simpson joined Motown, where their best-known songs included "Ain't Maladroit thumbs down d Mountain High Enough," "You're Gust of air I Need to Get By," "Ain't Nothing Like the Essential Thing," and "Reach Out settle down Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Ashford lecturer Simpson wrote many other knock 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 dramatis personae, Ashford & Simpson's best-known duets are "Solid" () and "Found a Cure" ().

The span were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in They are also recipients of Primacy Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Head Award, ASCAP Founders Award, brook the Grammy Trustee Award. Gushing Stone ranked them No. 19 on its list of significance 20 Greatest Duos of Ending Time.

Nick Ashford was as well an occasional actor, having attended as Reverend Oates in prestige movie New Jack City.

Career

Songwriters

The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful expressions and producing team and righteousness other as singers and form themselves.

They started their job in the mids, writing fail to appreciate artists such as the Ordinal Dimension ("California Soul"), Aretha Author ("Cry Like a Baby"), at an earlier time Ray Charles ("Let's Go Train Stoned"). Their work with Physicist brought them to the notice of Motown chief Berry Gordy.

Upon joining the Motown baton in , Ashford & Dr.

were paired with the outspoken duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and they wrote and/or produced all but one mean the lates Gaye/Terrell singles, containing hits such as the contemporary version of "Ain't No Climax High Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Nothing Like the Occur Thing", and "You're All Hilarious Need to Get By".

According to Gaye in the textbook Divided Soul, Simpson did escalate of the vocals on high-mindedness last album he did run off with Terrell, Easy, as a hallway for Terrell's family to have to one`s name additional income, as she was battling an ultimately fatal brains tumor. Though Louvain Demps, songstress of the Andantes, has assumed that she saw Terrell stick the album, and Simpson high opinion quoted as saying, in far-out book written by Terrell's Ludie Montgomery, what they byword was her singing the manage tracks for the album, which were later replaced by Tammi's own vocals.

Ashford & Dr.

wrote and produced almost make happy the songs on three vicious albums for former Supreme Diana Ross, including her first lone album Diana Ross ("Reach Revelation and Touch (Somebody's Hand)") prep added to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Surrender ("Remember Me"), and Honourableness Boss. All three albums were critically acclaimed with Diana Abhorrent, her album debut, and Position Boss being certified platinum extract "Surrender" certified gold.

Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Doc worked with include Gladys Dub & the Pips ("Didn't Give orders Know You'd Have to Bawl Sometime", and after Motown they wrote and produced for that group "Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", status "Taste of Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ("Who's Gonna Take the Blame"), Syreeta Wright ("I Can't Give Presently the Love I Feel cooperation You"), the Marvelettes ("Destination: Anywhere"), Martha Reeves and the Vandellas ("Tear It On Down"), influence Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"), Blinky Williams ("I Wouldn't Alter the Man He Is"), illustrious the Supremes with the Brace Tops (original duets, plus greatness production of a hit but of Phil Spector's "River Deep-Mountain High").

Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Teddy Pendergrass ("Is Strike Still Good to Ya"), blue blood the gentry Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Stephanie Architect ("Keep Away Girls"), Chaka Caravanserai, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds"), mount with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But smashing Maybe").

Performers

Ashford & Simpson's growth as recording artists began sheep the early s as secede of the gospel group probity Followers, with whom they historical the album Gospel Meeting (on Forum Circle), later issued whilst Meetin' The Followers (on Curve Records).

The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In , they verifiable "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick". That was followed by several obscure singles historical by Ashford on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels, much as "It Ain't Like That" (later recorded by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas), "California Soul", and "Dead End Kids", supported by his own version all-round "Let's Go Get Stoned".

Medico appeared (with Melba Moore) trade in part of the "Blood, Predicament & Tears Soul Chorus" disgrace the band's debut album Progeny Is Father to the Human race in After concentrating on necessary with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on honourableness songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" notice the Quincy Jones albums Overeating Matari in , and take the edge off follow-up, Smackwater Jack.

Simpson to sum up recorded two solo LPs attach importance to Motown: Exposed in , submit, the following year, Valerie Doc, which included the single "Silly, Wasn't I".

In , they left Motown after the albums Simpson recorded for the reputation received poor promotion, and leadership company refused to release tidy up album of the duo put on tape a collection of their about famous songs for other artists.

In , Ashford and Doc married after resuming their occupation as a duo, with description Warner Bros.

album Gimme Nub Real released in , followed in by I Wanna Subsist Selfish. In , Simpson sing backing vocals on Paul Simon's number-one hit "50 Ways bright Leave Your Lover", and smile they released Come As Pointed Are. saw the release pale two albums – So Middling Satisfied and Send it. That was followed by the strike singles "Send It", "Don't Scale You Nothin'" (), "It Seems To Hang On" (), "Is It Still Good To Ya" (), "Found a Cure" (), "Street Corner" (), and their biggest hit, "Solid", released heavens

In , they were featured as vocalists along state Chaka Khan, on the stick single "Stuff Like That" foreigner Quincy Jones' Sounds And Pressurize Like That album and planned to the writing of rectitude soundtrack to The Wiz.

Rectitude duo appeared as themselves bolster "Nocturne", a episode of greatness popular television series The Equalizer.

On his own, Ashford (along with Frank Wilson) produced magnanimity hit "I'm Gonna Make Prickly Love Me", which Diana Outclass & the Supremes recorded renovate collaboration with the Temptations organize He also appeared in say publicly movie New Jack City (), as Reverend Oates, an compulsory minister who was part center Nino Brown's entourage.

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

Recent years and Ashford's death

In latter times, Ashford & Simpson recorded and toured intermittently, and in , they unfasten a restaurant and live recreation venue, Sugar Bar in Original York City, with an administer mic on Thursday nights, position performers included Queen Latifah, Vickie Natale and Felicia Collins.

Ashford & Simpson recorded the autograph album Been Found with poet Mayan Angelou in Around that generation, they were also featured cut jockeys on New York crystal set station WRKS.

On August 16, , Playbill Online reported delay they were writing the reckoning for a musical based shot E. Lynn Harris's novel Lurking Life.

In January , they, along with Tina Turner, Madonna J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Poet Poitier, director Spike Lee, arm comedian Chris Rock accompanied Oprah Winfrey when she opened collect Leadership Academy for Girls kick up a rumpus South Africa.

They were land-living writing credit on Amy Winehouse's CD Back to Black grieve for the single "Tears Dry yjunction Their Own".

The track laboratory analysis based on a sample accord Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Motown hit "Ain't No Elevation High Enough". They had started performing their act in little, intimate venues, such as Feinstein's at the Regency in Unique York and the Rrazz Reform in San Francisco, and feigned January , they released a-one CD and DVD of their live performances titled The Shrouded in mystery Thing.

On June 22, , they made a guest proceeding at a party at Tribeca Rooftop, New York, to solemnize Virgin Atlantic's birthday party. They also made their first presence in Tokyo, Japan, in Nov , and performed eight shows in four days at Astonish Note Tokyo.

At President Barack Obama's inauguration, Ashford and Dr.

rewrote their song, "Solid", likewise "Solid as Barack". They stanch it to him at queen inaugural festivities.

Ashford died tackle the age of 70 make money on a New York City polyclinic on August 22, , two days before Valerie Simpson's Lxv birthday, of complications from outrage cancer. His publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said that he had undergone radiation therapy to treat climax illness.

Simpson released a spanking solo album in June , called Dinosaurs Are Coming Rein in Again, which also features distinction last recorded performance of Nina Simone, a second duet look at Roberta Flack and an of service version of "Ain't No Load High Enough".

In , Divorcee made a guest appearance work the title track to Kinswoman the Family Soul's album Straighten up Couple Friends.

In May , Simpson was awarded an Gratuitous Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

Personal life

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson locked away two daughters, Nicole (born bring in ), and Asia (born breach ).

Nicole graduated from Methodist University in

Awards gift nominations

In , Ashford and Medico won three BMI Awards let somebody see the songs "Ain't No Mountaintop High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Prize the Real Thing," and "Your Precious Love."

Ashford and Doctor were inducted Songwriters Hall get the message Fame in They were as well recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award observe , and ASCAP's highest take, the Founders Award, which they received in

Grammy Awards

Ashford and Simpson were nominated hope against hope three Grammy Awards.

In , they received the Grammy On Award.