Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson fell in love through music.
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Though they were raised in different parts of the country, (Ashford was born in South Carolina and raised in Michigan while Simpson hails from the Bronx in New York City), the pair met in 1964 at the White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem shortly after Ashford moved to New York City. The couple went on to become one of the most famous songwriting duos of all time.
They joined forces as songwriters and were hired by Scepter Records’ subsidiary, Wand Records, in the mid-1960s to write songs for artists on their roster and had their first hit with “Let’s Go Get Stoned.” Co-written with former Ike and Tina Turner background singer, Joshie Jo Armstead, “Let’s Go Get Stoned” was originally recorded by The Coasters, followed by Ronnie Milsap. But Ray Charles took it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with his 1966 cover, solidifying their careers as songwriters. Aretha Franklin, The Guess Who, Maxine Brown and the Shirelles are among the other artists who recorded their songs in the early days of their career.
But it was the success of Charles’ “Stoned” that caught the attention of Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, and hired them as songwriters for the label in 1966. They were the go-to songwriting team for the duo of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, penning such hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Your Precious Love,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “You’re All I Need to Get By” and others. They were also influential in the writing process for Diana Ross’ self-titled debut album, followed by her hits “Remember Me” and “Surrender.”
They also made a name for themselves as artists. Simpson cut a pair of albums while on Motown, Exposed in 1971, and her self-titled album in 1972. A year later, they left Motown and focused on their artistic career. They signed to Warner Bros. record label in 1973 and released the album, Gimme Something Real. Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, they released a series of albums and singles, including the 1984 hit, “Solid,” that topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and made the Top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The two turned their longtime partnership into a marriage when they wed in November 1974. “I’m so glad that I spent nine years getting to know him without trying to come on to somebody because then he knew my real essence, warts and all, and he loved me anyhow, and that’s how I knew him,” Simpson explained to The History Makers. “We weren’t about being in love at that point [on Motown], but when the love hit, it was real.
“The business was the first part of our relationship. We each had what the other needed and so, therefore, that was the basis for the relationship, the love came after. … We loved what we did.”
The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Ashford passed away from throat cancer in August 2011 at the age of 70.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
