Valerie Simpson Elected to ASCAP Board

ASCAP's Board of Directors has elected songwriter and recording artist Valerie Simpson as a director, it was announced by ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman.

Simpson has been an important songwriter for more than four decades. She and her longtime songwriting partner and husband, Nickolas Ashford, scored their first hit in 1966 with Ray Charles' recording of their "Let's Go Get Stoned." They subsequently became staff writers (and producers) for Motown, creating such classics as "Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," among many others. The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Valerie Simpson has served on the Board of Directors of The ASCAP Foundation since 1997.

Commenting on Simpson's election, Marilyn Bergman said, "I am delighted to welcome Valerie Simpson, a legend of Pop and R&B songwriting, to the ASCAP Board of Directors. Over the course of many years, she and Nick Ashford have been very active in ASCAP affairs, and I know Val will provide the Board with valuable insight and a fresh perspective."