TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Composer, singer, and percussionist Nick Ashford was born in 1941 in South Carolina. As an infant, he moved north to Michigan, eventually settling in New York City, where he dreamed of becoming a dancer.
In 1964, he met 17-year-old Valerie Simpson in Harlem, beginning a songwriting partnership that would define a generation. Together, and sometimes with Josephine Armstead, they penned hits like “You’re All I Need to Get By” for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and the iconic anthem “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” for Diana Ross. Ashford and Simpson also created hits for Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, and the Supremes.
Their songs told stories of love, struggle, and resilience, blending soul, R&B, and jazz sensibilities into a lasting American soundtrack.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.