Nick Ashford Tribute

Over nearly five decades, Ashford and his wife Valerie Simpson wrote songs including Motown classics Ain't No Mountain High Enough and Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand (recorded by Ross) and You're All I Need To Get By (made famous by Gaye and Tammi Terrell) and they also wrote pop hits such as I'm Every Woman, which was a hit for Chaka Khan and, later, Whitney Houston. They also wrote the wonderful catchy soul song Destination Anywhere.

The pair also had success writing for themselves, with perhaps the biggest known hit sung by being the 1980s hit Solid As A Rock. The duo, who were married for 38 years, helped sell millions of records for several artists. They also had success as their own entity, but despite Solid As a Rock their hits dwarfed those that they penned for others. In recent years, the pair continued to perform. They also were owners of the New York City restaurant Sugar Bar, where many top names and emerging talents would put on showcases.

Ashford is survived by his wife and two daughters Nicole and Asia.