(05.19.09) NARM announces that it will honor musical duo Ashford & Simpson with the Outstanding Achievement Award, celebrating their lifetime of musical collaboration.

The legendary duo will be honored during the Awards Dinner Finale of the Association’s four-day Annual Convention, NARM Connects: Physical…Digital…Mobile, which will be held in San Diego, California on Wednesday, June 10.

Ashford & Simpson’s musical career has spanned four decades, beginning in 1966 when Ray Charles landed a major hit with their composition “Let’s Go Get Stoned.” This led to their signing 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 songs for other Motown greats, most notably Diana Ross, who launched her solo career with a remake of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” that was also produced by Ashford & Simpson, as were “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and “The Boss.”

From 1973 to 1981 they released nine albums, yielding such hits 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.” The hitmaking continued after a move to Capitol Records in 1982, with “Street Corner,” “I’ll Be There for You,” and “Solid,” which topped the r&b chart in 1984 and crossed over to No. 12 on the pop singles chart.

NARM President Jim Donio says, “NARM congratulates Ashford & Simpson for their lengthy and influential musical career. As tremendously talented performers, musicians and songwriters who have been generously sharing their musical gifts for years, they have certainly made a positive impact on the music world. We are pleased and proud to have this incredibly creative and highly-acclaimed couple participate in our Annual Convention this year.”

Throughout their career, the couple continued writing and producing for other major artists, including Ben E. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Chaka Khan (they wrote her hit “I’m Every Woman”) and Quincy Jones (they co-wrote and performed on the song, “Stuff Like That”).

In addition to their artistic endeavors, Ashford & Simpson are also involved in community service. Ongoing activities include Val (Simpson’s) membership on the ASCAP Board of Directors and her role as a national spokesperson for the Speaking of Woman’s Health organization. For his part, Nick (Ashford) serves on the Board of Directors for George Faison’s Firehouse Theatre. Together they regularly perform at charity events, such as Atlanta’s recent 24th Annual Mayor’s MASKED Ball (Mankind Assisting Students Kindle Educational Dreams) in support of the United Negro College Fund.