So I woke up this morning and was told my homie Nick Ashford of Ashford and Simpson passed away from throat cancer last night! Now Mr. Ashford wasn't actually my homie and I've never met him but I'm very aware of his legacy and what he contributed to popular music...not just black music.
I wasn't even around during Ashford and Simpson's hey day as a duo but I remember my mother playing music Ashford and Simpson wrote for other Motown artists. When I started producing my own music and got heavy into sampling, I recall reading the credits on various different albums I'd buy and Ashford and Simpson would be given writing credit for something they did in the 60s. For example: Mary J. Blige and Method Man's "You're All I Need". That was written by Ashford and Simpson for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in the 60s. Other songs written by the duo that we all know consciously or sub-consciously are "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing".
As I learned more about the history of music and the people who have made huge contributions, I realized Ashford and Simpson songs were legendary and timeless. They wrote some of the biggest records we've ever heard and a lot of their songs are still getting heavy spins in 2011. That's serious business people! That to me says that Ashford and Simpsons thoughts were and are timeless. Classic.
Today I just wanted to pay my respect to Mr. Nick Ashford and the rest of his family. You will be missed but never forgotten. God bless!
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