I’m Every Woman: An Evening with the Great Valerie Simpson

Valerie Simpson started her singing career in church. As a pianist and vocalist she got her start in gospel music. With her husband Nickolas Ashford the two would become some of the most prolific singer song writers of their day. Other than being musical titans themselves, the duo would write music for other music legends such as Ray Charles, Marvin gaye Chaka Khan.

The lyrical duo were the motor behind Motown. Anybody who was anybody was coupled with the dynamic duo to write their music. Valerie Simpson was a disciplined musician who likened the infamously demanding environment of Motown records jovially as …”like college” where you were trained to be produce in a given time frame. She reflects on a friendly rivalry between the writers for the Temprations and Smokey Robinson in which you had to bring your “A-Game”.

The two were famous for writing the hit song “Aint no Mountain high enough” which if not for their musical integrity and courage would not have been released if not for their push back against heir producer. The two went from writers to singers, partners to lovers. The development of their relationship followed the progression of their career. It would be 9 years of working together before the romance took between them - a factor that Ms. Simpson would state that she’s grateful for considering he would know her for her.

I am a big fan of soul music and I was ashamed to not know that Ms. Simpson and her husband were behind the curtain cultivating much of the many soul classics that have since become legendary. The duo inhabited an interesting position where they were the means of others cultivating their fame, but also were granted the opportunity to write and sing for themselves and cultivate their own audience and following. Many song writers exist behind the scenes, but the two pushed to sing for themselves as well as help uplift others.