HR0076 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0076 LRB096 11001 GRL 21285 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson for their many years of success as the musical duo Ashford & Simpson; and

WHEREAS, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson's award-winning collaborations began in 1964, when the duo recorded an original song, "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick"; the two met earlier that year in New York at the White Rock Baptist Church after Mr. Ashford moved to New York from Detroit in pursuit of a theater career; being homeless upon his arrival, he happened upon Bronx native Valerie Simpson, who had studied piano since the age of five and was playing and singing with the Harlem church's legendary choir; Mr. Ashford joined the choir and the two began writing songs, selling their first batch for $75; and

WHEREAS, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson were soon signed to the legendary Scepter Records as staff songwriters, breaking through in 1966 when Ray Charles landed a major hit with their composition "Let's Go Get Stoned"; their success led to both of them being signed with Motown Records, where they penned the classic Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", "You're All I Need to Get By", and "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By"; they also wrote hits for other Motown greats, most notably Diana Ross, who launched her solo career with a hit remake of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", that was also produced by Ashford & Simpson; the two also wrote hits such as "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" and "The Boss"; and

WHEREAS, Not content with simply writing hit songs, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson had their own recording/performing aspirations as well; from 1973 to 1981, they released nine albums, creating hit songs such as "Send It", "Don't Cost You Nothin'", "It Seems to Hang On", "Love Don't Make it Right", "Is It Still Good to Ya", and "Found a Cure"; their hitmaking continued after a move to Capitol Records in 1982, with "Street Corner", "Highrise", "I'll Be There for You", and "Solid", which topped the R&B chart in 1984 and crossed over to number 12 on the pop singles chart; during their successful career, the two continued writing and producing songs for other artists, including Ben E. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Chaka Khan, and Quincy Jones; and

WHEREAS, Ashford & Simpson were the only R&B act to perform at the historic Live Aid event in 1985, where they brought out Teddy Pendergrass to join in on "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" in Mr. Pendergrass' first performance following his tragic car accident; the duo later starred in concerts celebrating Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday and President Bill Clinton's first inauguration; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, the duo's "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" was used as the theme for the Summer Olympics in Atlanta; in that same year, they formed their own label, Hopsack & Silk, and released "Been Found", an acclaimed music/poetry album collaboration with their friend, Maya Angelou; also in that year, the American Society of Composers And Publishers (ASCAP) presented them with its highest honor, the Founder's Award; in 1999, they received the Pioneer Award from the prestigious Rhythm & Blues Foundation; in 2002, they joined the pantheon of popular music songwriters when they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, The partnership between Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson is currently hotter than ever; a two week stint at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York in 2006 was so successful that they were brought back for three weeks in 2007, garnering some of the best notices of their career; they followed their show with concerts in London and Amsterdam that drew ecstatic audiences, then returned to work on a musical adaptation of E. Lynn Harris's novel "Invisible Life"; and

WHEREAS, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are the operators of the Sugar Bar, a popular Manhattan restaurant known for its renowned Thursday Night Open Mic events, where anyone can perform a song with the stellar house band; the Sugar Bar has featured acts such as Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Paul Shaffer, Michael McDonald, Jimmy Buffett, Queen Latifah, and John Rich; and

WHEREAS, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are continuously involved in community service; Val currently serves as a member of the ASCAP Board of Directors and as national spokesperson for the Speaking of Woman's Health organization; Nick currently serves on the Board of Directors for George Faison's Firehouse Theatre; together, they regularly perform at important charity events, such as Atlanta's recent 24th Annual Mayor's MASKED Ball (Mankind Assisting Students Kindle Educational Dreams), an event supporting the United Negro College Fund; and

WHEREAS, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson have been the recipients of many honors and awards; two honors, however, stand out as special milestones for the duo; Val's special milestone consists of her name on a street sign in the Bronx Walk of Fame, in commemoration of her achievements by her proud neighborhood; Nick's special milestone is an inscription from Val that says "Nick Ashford slept here" on the park bench in Bryant Park that he called home when he first came to New York, symbolizing the long journey they've traveled together since that fateful day at White Rock Baptist; and

WHEREAS, Ashford & Simpson are well known throughout the music industry and their legions of devoted fans as one of the most acclaimed and admired creative couples in contemporary music; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson for their many years of success and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson as a symbol of our esteem and respect.