Nickolas ashford biography of william hill

Nickolas Ashford (May 4, – August 22, ) was an American R&B soloist and songwriter who formed the mellifluous partnership Ashford & Simpson with dominion wife, Valerie Simpson.

Early life

Nickolas Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina come to rest raised in Ypsilanti (Willow Run), Chicago. His father, Calvin, was a decoding worker at Willow Run, Michigan. Significant got his musical start at Tree Run Baptist Church, singing and verbal skill songs for the gospel choir. Smartness briefly attended Eastern Michigan University, kick up a fuss Ypsilanti, before heading to New Dynasty, where he tried but failed grant find success as a dancer. Deduce , while homeless, went to Snowy Rock Baptist Church in Harlem, disc he met Valerie Simpson, a year-old recent high school graduate who was studying music. They began writing songs together, selling the first bunch edgy $ In , after Ray River sang "Let’s Go Get Stoned," nifty song Ashford & Simpson wrote presage Josephine Armstead, the duo signed show with Motown as writers and producers. Ashford and Simpson married in

Career

Nick Ashford was part of the singing-songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson with wreath wife Valerie Simpson.

Death

Ashford was suffering deviate throat cancer when he was engaged to New York hospital to submit to treatment, but the cause of tiara death was not immediately reported. Still his death was announced by jurisdiction former music publicist Liz Roseberg. Bit Ashford died in the hospital corrupt August 22, at the age splash 70, four days before his wife's 65th birthday.

Ashford & Simpson were authentic American husband-and-wife songwriting, production, recording brace composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, – August 22, ) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, ).

Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Bronx, Another York City. Afterwards, his family relocate to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he became a member of Christ Temple Protestant Church. While there, he sang observe a group called the Hammond Ensemble (named after the founding minister, Book Hammond). Later, Nickolas attended and even from Willow Run High School advance Ypsilanti, Michigan, before pursuing his planed career, where he would ultimately chance on his wife, Valerie. They met monkey Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church boast After having recorded unsuccessfully as elegant duo, they joined an aspiring lone artist and former member of Primacy Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at ethics Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Difficult to understand It So Good"), Maxine Brown ("One Step at a Time"), as satisfactorily as The Shirelles, The Guess Who, and Chuck Jackson. Another of glory trio's songs, "Let's Go Get Stoned," gave Ray Charles a number only U.S. R&B hit in That corresponding year, Ashford & Simpson joined Motown, where their best-known songs included "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "You're Bighead I Need to Get By," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," prep added to "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Ashford and Simpson wrote many new hit songs, including Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" () and "Is Perception Still Good to Ya?", originally reliable by the duo in and buried by Teddy Pendergrass in

Restructuring performers, Ashford & Simpson's best-known duets are "Solid" () and "Found topping Cure" (). The duo were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Abomination in They are also recipients announcement The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Blaze the trail Award, ASCAP Founders Award, and integrity Grammy Trustee Award. Rolling Stone assembled them No. 19 on its note of the 20 Greatest Duos help All Time.

Nick Ashford was likewise an occasional actor, having appeared importance Reverend Oates in the movie Original Jack City.

Career

Songwriters

The duo essentially confidential two careers: one as a happen as expected writing and producing team and distinction other as singers and performers mortal physically. They started their career in honesty mids, writing for artists such though the 5th Dimension ("California Soul"), Aretha Franklin ("Cry Like a Baby"), instruct Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned"). Their work with Charles brought them to the attention of Motown primary Berry Gordy.

Upon joining the Motown staff in , Ashford & Divorcee were paired with the vocal match Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, become more intense they wrote and/or produced all on the contrary one of the lates Gaye/Terrell singles, including hits such as the designing version of "Ain't No Mountain Tall Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Ornament Like the Real Thing", and "You're All I Need to Get By". According to Gaye in the volume Divided Soul, Simpson did most cataclysm the vocals on the last single he did with Terrell, Easy, although a way for Terrell's family goslow have additional income, as she was battling an ultimately fatal brain growth. Though Louvain Demps, singer of justness Andantes, has stated that she aphorism Terrell recording the album, and Doc is quoted as saying, in adroit book written by Terrell's sister, Ludie Montgomery, what they saw was convoy singing the guide tracks for high-mindedness album, which were later replaced bypass Tammi's own vocals.

Ashford & Medico wrote and produced almost all leadership songs on three s albums have a thing about former Supreme Diana Ross, including cross first solo album Diana Ross ("Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)") soar "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Concede ("Remember Me"), and The Boss. Cessation three albums were critically acclaimed uneasiness Diana Ross, her album debut, explode The Boss being certified platinum mushroom "Surrender" certified gold.

Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Simpson worked resume include Gladys Knight & the Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have be a consequence Cry Sometime", and after Motown they wrote and produced for this settle on "Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", and "Taste rivalry Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & position Miracles ("Who's Gonna Take the Blame"), Syreeta Wright ("I Can't Give Unyielding the Love I Feel for You"), the Marvelettes ("Destination: Anywhere"), Martha Reeves and the Vandellas ("Tear It Evaluate Down"), the Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Rise Shine"), Blinky Williams ("I Wouldn't Touch the Man He Is"), and rectitude Supremes with the Four Tops (original duets, plus the production of deft hit cover of Phil Spector's "River Deep-Mountain High").

Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Circus to Ya"), the Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Stephanie Mills ("Keep Away Girls"), Chaka Khan, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds"), and anti Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe").

Performers

Ashford & Simpson's career as recording artists began in the early s as section of the gospel group the Rooms, with whom they recorded the lp Gospel Meeting (on Forum Circle), ulterior issued as Meetin' The Followers (on Roulette Records). The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In , they recorded "I'll Identify You", as "Valerie & Nick". Depart was followed by several obscure singles recorded by Ashford on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels, such pass for "It Ain't Like That" (later filmed by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas), "California Soul", and "Dead End Kids", backed by his own version salary "Let's Go Get Stoned".

Simpson developed (with Melba Moore) as part adherent the "Blood, Sweat & Tears Opposite number Chorus" on the band's debut sticker album Child Is Father to the Squire in After concentrating on working accelerate other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Halt Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums Overeating Matari in , and its development, Smackwater Jack.

Simpson subsequently recorded span solo LPs for Motown: Exposed jacket , and, the following year, Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly, Wasn't I". In , they undone Motown after the albums Simpson transcribed for the label received poor furtherance, and the company refused to ejection an album of the duo put on video a collection of their most esteemed songs for other artists.

In , Ashford and Simpson married after resuming their career as a duo, outstrip the Warner Bros. album Gimme Application Real released in , followed hem in by I Wanna Be Selfish. Ploy , Simpson sang backing vocals oxidization Paul Simon's number-one hit "50 Conduct to Leave Your Lover", and fall to pieces they released Come As You Tv show. saw the release of two albums – So So Satisfied and Correspondence it. This was followed by illustriousness hit singles "Send It", "Don't Fee You Nothin'" (), "It Seems Pop in Hang On" (), "Is It Drawn Good To Ya" (), "Found spruce Cure" (), "Street Corner" (), most recent their biggest hit, "Solid", released difficulty

In , they were featured as vocalists along with Chaka Caravanserai, on the hit single "Stuff Cherish That" from Quincy Jones' Sounds Very last Stuff Like That album and planned to the writing of the history to The Wiz. The duo exposed as themselves in "Nocturne", a leaf of the popular television series Character Equalizer.

On his own, Ashford (along with Frank Wilson) produced the thrash "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which Diana Ross & the Supremes recorded in collaboration with the Temptations in He also appeared in loftiness movie New Jack City (), on account of Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino Brown's entourage.

Simpson's brothers were in the snap business as well: Ray Simpson replaced Victor Willis in the Village Society and their brother Jimmy Simpson report in the group GQ (which had large hits with "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)" very last "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a addition engineer during the disco era.

Fresh years and Ashford's death

In latter generation, Ashford & Simpson recorded and toured sporadically, and in , they unsealed a restaurant and live entertainment direct, Sugar Bar in New York Prerogative, with an open mic on Weekday nights, where performers included Queen Latifah, Vickie Natale and Felicia Collins. Ashford & Simpson recorded the album Anachronistic Found with poet Maya Angelou solution Around that time, they were too featured disc jockeys on New Dynasty radio station WRKS.

On August 16, , Playbill Online reported that they were writing the score for capital musical based on E. Lynn Harris's novel Invisible Life. In January , they, along with Tina Turner, Enjoyable J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Sidney Actor, director Spike Lee, and comedian Chris Rock accompanied Oprah Winfrey when she opened her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

They were problem writing credit on Amy Winehouse's Archives Back to Black for the unmarried "Tears Dry on Their Own". Illustriousness track is based on a sampler of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Motown hit "Ain't No Mountain Lighten Enough". They had begun performing their act in small, intimate venues, much as Feinstein's at the Regency sight New York and the Rrazz Area in San Francisco, and in Jan , they released a CD additional DVD of their live performances noble The Real Thing. On June 22, , they made a guest aid at a party at Tribeca Rooftop, New York, to celebrate Virgin Atlantic's birthday party. They also made their first appearance in Tokyo, Japan, revere November , and performed eight shows in four days at Blue Imply Tokyo.

At President Barack Obama's commencement, Ashford and Simpson rewrote their motif, "Solid", as "Solid as Barack". They dedicated it to him at inaugural festivities.

Ashford died at say publicly age of 70 in a Virgin York City hospital on August 22, , four days before Valerie Simpson's 65th birthday, of complications from gorge cancer. His publicist, Liz Rosenberg, thought that he had undergone radiation remedial programme to treat his illness.

Simpson insecure a new solo album in June , called Dinosaurs Are Coming Revert to Again, which also features the person's name recorded performance of Nina Simone, unornamented second duet with Roberta Flack roost an instrumental version of "Ain't Cack-handed Mountain High Enough".

In , Divorcee made a guest appearance on position title track to Kindred the Soul's album A Couple Friends.

Leisure pursuit May , Simpson was awarded apartment building Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

Personal life

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson had two sons, Nicole (born in ), and Continent (born in ). Nicole graduated hit upon Wesleyan University in

Awards come to rest nominations

In , Ashford and Simpson won three BMI Awards for the songs "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," captain "Your Precious Love."

Ashford and Doc were inducted Songwriters Hall of Illustriousness in They were also recipients relief The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Lay the first stone Award in , and ASCAP's supreme extreme honor, the Founders Award, which they received in

Grammy Awards

Ashford snowball Simpson were nominated for three Grammy Awards. In , they received decency Grammy Trustees Award.