The songwriter Nick Ashford, one-half of the songwriting duo Ashford and Simpson, has died.
Ashford, together with his wife Valerie Simpson, penned songs that sold millions and are widely known as Motown classics, as well as being successful recording artists in their own right.
Their breakthrough hit came in 1966 with Let's Go Get Stoned for Ray Charles. This brought them to the attention of Motown Records, where they started out writing for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. They then established a songwriting partnership which saw them write million-selling worldwide hits including You're All I Need To Get By, Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell; I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan; Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand - Diana Ross; California Soul - Marlena Shaw; Didn’t You Know You’d Have to Cry Sometime - Gladys Knight and the Pips; Who’s Gonna Take the Blame - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
They also scored hits as a duo, including Solid, It Seems to Hang On and Count Your Blessings. More recently they received a songwriting credit on Amy Winehouse’s song Tears Dry on Their Own, which contains a sample from Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.
Recognising their enormous contribution to popular music, tributes to Ashford have been pouring in on Twitter.
DJ Trevor Nelson said of his passing "sad news Rip one of the greatest songwriters Nick Ashford,one of motowns and black musics legends." [sic]
Lenny Kravitz: "Left rehearsal. Heard Nick Ashford passed. A legend. My heart goes out to Valerie. My Lord, ain't no mountain high enough. Solid as a rock."
Earth Wind and Fire: "REST IN PEACE TO A TRUE LEGEND: NICK ASHFORD."
Ashford is survived by his wife and two daughters Nicole and Asia.
Ashford, together with his wife Valerie Simpson, penned songs that sold millions and are widely known as Motown classics, as well as being successful recording artists in their own right.
Their breakthrough hit came in 1966 with Let's Go Get Stoned for Ray Charles. This brought them to the attention of Motown Records, where they started out writing for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. They then established a songwriting partnership which saw them write million-selling worldwide hits including You're All I Need To Get By, Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell; I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan; Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand - Diana Ross; California Soul - Marlena Shaw; Didn’t You Know You’d Have to Cry Sometime - Gladys Knight and the Pips; Who’s Gonna Take the Blame - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
They also scored hits as a duo, including Solid, It Seems to Hang On and Count Your Blessings. More recently they received a songwriting credit on Amy Winehouse’s song Tears Dry on Their Own, which contains a sample from Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.
Recognising their enormous contribution to popular music, tributes to Ashford have been pouring in on Twitter.
DJ Trevor Nelson said of his passing "sad news Rip one of the greatest songwriters Nick Ashford,one of motowns and black musics legends." [sic]
Lenny Kravitz: "Left rehearsal. Heard Nick Ashford passed. A legend. My heart goes out to Valerie. My Lord, ain't no mountain high enough. Solid as a rock."
Earth Wind and Fire: "REST IN PEACE TO A TRUE LEGEND: NICK ASHFORD."
Ashford is survived by his wife and two daughters Nicole and Asia.
