Ashford & Simpson were a husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording artists. Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Bronx, New York. Afterwards, his family relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan where he became a member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. While there,
he sang with a group called The Hammond Singers (named after the
founding minister, James Hammond).
Later, Nickolas attended and
graduated from Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, before
pursuing his professional career, where he would ultimately meet his
wife, Valerie. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. After having recorded unsuccessfully
as a duo, they joined an aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Good"), Maxine Brown ("One Step at a Time"), as well as the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson. Another of the trio's songs, "Let's Go Get Stoned", gave Ray Charles a number one U.S. R&B hit in 1966.
For more information on the duo's illustrious career, click here.
Source: Wikipedia
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