Nick Ashford, 1/2 of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson died.
Classics like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand" by Diana Ross and "You're All I Need To Get By" by Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Ashford & Simpson also created anthems for others, like "I'm Every Woman" by Khan (and later remade by Whitney Houston). Ashford & Simpson also had success writing for themselves: Perhaps the best-known song they sang was the 1980s hit "Solid As A Rock".
Others in the music industry also mourned the loss. On Twitter, Alicia Keys wrote, "I'm so sad that he's gone. ... So many of the greatests are going to a greater place ... what a legacy of infectious music ... man!".
The duo, married for 38 years, helped sell millions of records for several artists. Into the new millennium: They are credited as co-writers on Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry On Their Own."
In 2002, Ashford & Simpson were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.