Nick Ashford

Songwriter/Producer/Singer As one-half of the prolific singer-songwriter duo Ashford and Simpson, Michigan native Nick Ashford helped to craft music which supplied the unforgettable soundtrack for the lives of generations of music lovers. Together with wife Valerie Simpson, over three decades the pair penned several hit songs, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand,” “The Boss” and “I’m Every Woman,” for iconic pop artists like Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan. As recording artists, Ashford and Simpson scored a #1 Billboard R&B hit single, 1984’s “Solid (As A Rock).” Nick Ashford died of throat cancer on August 22, 2011. He was the father of two daughters, Nicole and Asia, with Simpson, his wife of 37 years.