Ashford & Simpson

Prior to their success as a vocal duo during the disco and quiet storm eras of R&B, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson were one of Motown's most popular writing and production teams in the late 1960s and eary '70s, scoring hits with Marvin Gaye (especially his duets with Tammi Terrell), Diana Ross, and Gladys Knight. Simpson released two solo albums during the duo's stint with Motown, but Ashford & Simpson began recording as a duo with 1973's GIMME SOMETHING REAL. A string of R&B hits including "Solid," "Love It Away," and "I'll Be There For You" lasted into the 1990s.