August 26, 1946, Valerie Simpson, was born.

GM – FBF – Today’s American Champion met Nickolas Ashford in New York City and they began to perform and compose together. Songs that they wrote during that time include “Cry Like A Baby” for Aretha Franklin and “Let’s Go Get Stoned” for Ray Charles. In 1966, they joined Motown Records where they wrote and/or produced a number of hits, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” for Diana Ross, and “Who’s Gonna Take the Blame” for Smoky Robinson & The Miracles. They also had hits with Teddy Pendergrass with “Is It Still Good to You” and Chaka Khan with “I’m Every Woman.” In 1973, they left Motown and resumed their recording career. They had several hits, including “Don’t Cost You Nothin’” (1977), “Is It Still Good to Ya” (1978), and “Solid” (1984). The duo continued to record and tour until Ashford’s death in 2011. They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Today’s Champion released “Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again” in 2012. Enjoy!

Remember – “Now when I’m onstage, I have to cover the whole stage, and I can be as big as I can be. So that changes too. So there are the pluses that I’m getting out of the situation of being a solo (artist).” - Valerie Simpson

Today in our History - August 26, 1946, Valerie Simpson, hall of fame songwriter and recording artist, was born in The Bronx, New York.

Valerie Simpson has long been known as one-half of the legendary duo Ashford & Simpson. The duo, consisting of Simpson with her late husband Nickolas Ashford (who passed away in 2011), wrote and often produced many pop & R&B classic hit songs, including the female anthem “I’m Every Woman” (which was a hit for both Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston) and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (a hit for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, and for Diana Ross).

Ashford & Simpson ranks with some of the great writing teams in pop music history, and they were major contributors to the hit success of Motown Records. In the late 1960s, they wrote several duet classics for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Your Precious Love,” “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” and “You’re All I Need To Get By.”

The duo also were key songwriters & producers for Diana Ross, particularly when she left The Supremes to launch her solo career. In the early ‘70s, Ashford & Simpson wrote & produced almost all the songs on Ross’s first solo album (Diana Ross), including her hits “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand),” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (a #1 hit), and “Remember Me.” They also wrote & produced Ross’s 1971 album Surrender, and her 1979 album, The Boss (which included the hit single, “The Boss’).

In addition to their hits for Motown artists, Ashford & Simpson wrote hit songs for Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones and other artists. The duo’s biggest hit is probably “I’m Every Woman’—they originally wrote it for Khan, who had her first solo hit with the song in 1978 (after leaving the group, Rufus). Then in 1993, “I’m Every Woman” was recorded by Whitney Houston for her blockbuster album & movie, The Bodyguard. Houston’s version became a worldwide hit, and further established “I’m Every Woman” as a female empowerment anthem.

On top of their success as songwriters & producers, Alford & Simpson became known as recording artists, releasing four albums that were certified gold (on Warner Bros. Records), and having such hits as “Solid,” “Found a Cure” and “Street Corner.”

Over the years, the duo has received many honors and awards. In 2002, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 1996 they received ASCAP’s highest honor, the Founders Award. The duo also received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1999.

In recent years (following the death of Ashford in 2011), Valerie Simpson has remained active as a songwriter and artist. In 2012, she released a solo album called Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again, and she continues to write songs and perform live shows. Research more about this great American Champion and share with your babies. Make it a champion day!