R&B Singer, Songwriter. He was half of the prolific singing and songwriting duo 'Ashford and Simpson.' Born in Fairfield County, South Carolina and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, he moved to New York City, New York when at age twenty-one, he was in pursuit of a dancing career and met seventeen-year old Valerie Simpson who was then performing with the White Rock Baptist Church Choir in Harlem. The two began writing songs together, initially gospel tunes followed by R&B. They joined the staff at Scepter Records and penned the Ray Charles' hit "Let's Go Get Stoned" (1964). The score led them to signing with Motown Records and their yielding of the hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1967), "Your Precious Love" (1967), "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1968) and "You're All I Need To Get By" (1968), by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Diana Ross had success with her version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1970) and "Remember Me" (1971). After leaving Motown in 1973, the couple (who were married in 1974) joined the Warner Brothers label as recording artists and had a Top-40 chart-placing with "Found a Cure" (1979). The more successful "Solid" (with Capitol) achieved a number 12 placing on the US Pop Charts in 1985. Whitney Houston earned gold record status with the Ashford and Simpson effort "I'm Every Woman" in 1993. The couple was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
R&B Singer, Songwriter. He was half of the prolific singing and songwriting duo 'Ashford and Simpson.' Born in Fairfield County, South Carolina and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, he moved to New York City, New York when at age twenty-one, he was in pursuit of a dancing career and met seventeen-year old Valerie Simpson who was then performing with the White Rock Baptist Church Choir in Harlem. The two began writing songs together, initially gospel tunes followed by R&B. They joined the staff at Scepter Records and penned the Ray Charles' hit "Let's Go Get Stoned" (1964). The score led them to signing with Motown Records and their yielding of the hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1967), "Your Precious Love" (1967), "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1968) and "You're All I Need To Get By" (1968), by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Diana Ross had success with her version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1970) and "Remember Me" (1971). After leaving Motown in 1973, the couple (who were married in 1974) joined the Warner Brothers label as recording artists and had a Top-40 chart-placing with "Found a Cure" (1979). The more successful "Solid" (with Capitol) achieved a number 12 placing on the US Pop Charts in 1985. Whitney Houston earned gold record status with the Ashford and Simpson effort "I'm Every Woman" in 1993. The couple was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
Bio by: C.S.
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Ashford memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
