Valerie Simpson -of the iconic singer/songwriting duo, Ashford & Simpson- comes from a very musical family. We already know that she and her late husband, Nickolas Ashford, could create an R&B soul hit song, like no other! But little did most of us, Ashford & Simpson fans, know, Valerie also has a brother who is a popular singer.
Before we get into who her brother is, we wanna first commend this “Is It Still Good To You” singer for hangin’ in there ever since the passing of her better half, Nick Ashford, in August of 2011.
After Nick’s death, Valerie has continued to keep the legacy, she and her hubby built, alive. She released a solo album in 2012, titled Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again. She was featured on the title track for the neo-soul duo, Kindred and the Family Soul’s, 2014 album, A Couple Friends (see video below). And as of today, ‘Mrs. Ashford’ still performs the classic jams that she and Nick ashford penned years ago on the regular.
In recent years, Valerie has not only fed the souls of her fans with great music, but she’s also fed the bellies of folks with some country style soul food at her NY restaurant, Sugar Bar, which she and Nick opened up in 1996. It’s been a hot spot for everyone from Stevie Wonder, to Freddie Jackson, Stephanie Mills, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy and a bunch of other celebs.
