Aug. 22 - Nick Ashford passed away today! The brilliant singing-songwriting duo of Ashford & (Valerie) Simpson gave us some of the most stunningly beautiful songs in all of music history. The sho' nuff God-given gifts of Ashford & Simpson transcended the rote categories of "pop" and "soul" and went all the way inward to the HEART AND SOUL! Their creations double back outward up into the stratosphere of CLASSIC MASTERPIECES!
At pivotoal moments, they helped revitalize the careers of Ray Charles & Chaka Khan with Let's Go Get Stoned and I'm Every Woman, they helped DEFINE the solo career of Diana Ross at Motown, neatly positioned Gladys Knight & The Pips back on the charts in the early 80's, and the sheer brilliance of what they did for duet partners, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell just make you shake your head and throw up both hands. Aint' Nothing Like The Real Thing? You're All I Need To Get By? My GOD! Does it get any better than that? WAIT ... YES, IT DOES! And Nick (and Val) are the ONLY ONES who could've made it any better..........
There is only one word for this - SUBLIME!
The rest of the songs are part of an endless list: Gimme Something Real, It Seems To Hang On, Found A Cure, Street Corner Symphony, Over and Over, Is It Still Good To Ya, Don't Cost You Nothing, Send It, So So Satisfied, Solid, Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand, The Boss, It's My House, The Landlord. And these are just the ones that I can recall from memory!
An instrumental, Bourgie Bourgie is one of my absolute favorite Ashford and Simpson jams. Whenever I hear it, I'm immediately transported to a time and place that hold so much pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness, and of once looking toward the future and alternately being stuck in the past. Though lyrics were later added, here is that ability to go straight to the heart and soul that I spoke of - with no words at all!
Nick Ashford was born in Fairfield County, South Carolina. He died of complications from throat cancer in New York City. He was 70 years old.
Thanks for posting this history on Nicholas Ashford! I, too grew up listening to some VERY early Ashford & Simpson (I'm 51) and used to jam to their music often in the 80's, as I sang along doing the "Nick" part of the songs. Nick Ashford, rest in peace, brother! Although you will be missed, your music will live on forever! Prayers to Valerie, the kids, and family of Nick.
Posted by: RobFather-X | August 23, 2011 at 11:29 AM
I knew he had been ill but didn't expect this. There had been some talk among some former employees of the Sugar Bar and the other joint they had on West 20th St. But he is at peace now and the family merit our attention. He and Valerie have been together for a long time and were a seemingly happy family. They have a beautiful home on the Upper East Side-one of the "very" few Black families in that part of NYC.
Strange, I was thinking of Valerie just over the weekend while at the Bed-Stuy Pride on Sunday. One of the performers made me think of a young Valerie Simpson when she used to be a Gospel singer at a church in the Bronx back in the late 60's. Gosh how time flies and how we progress along with it.
Posted by: Greg | August 23, 2011 at 12:07 PM
Didn't even know he was sick...RIP!
Posted by: thegaytekeeper | August 23, 2011 at 02:18 PM