party. They also made their first appearance in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2009, and performed eight shows in four days at Blue Note Tokyo. At President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration, Ashford and Simpson rewrote their song, "Solid", as "Solid as Barack". They dedicated it to him at his inaugural festivities. Ashford died in a New York City hospital on August 22, 2011, four days before Valerie Simpson's 65th birthday, of complications from throat cancer. His publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said that he had undergone radiation therapy to treat his illness. Simpson released a new solo album in June 2012, called Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again, which also features the last recorded performance of Nina Simone, a second duet with Roberta Flack and an instrumental version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". In 2014, Simpson made a guest appearance on the title track to Kindred the Family Soul's album A Couple Friends. In May 2014, Simpson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. Personal life Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson had two daughters, Nicole (born in 1975), and Asia (born in 1987). Nicole graduated from Wesleyan University in 1997. Awards and nominations In 1969, Ashford and Simpson won three BMI Awards for the songs "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "Your Precious Love." Ashford and Simpson were inducted Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. They were also recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award in 1999, and ASCAP's highest honor, the Founders Award, which they received in 1996. Grammy Awards Ashford and Simpson were nominated for three Grammy Awards. In 2019, they received the Grammy Trustees Award. |- | 1985 | Ashford And Simpson | Best Video, Short Form | |- | 1986 | Solid | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | |- | 1987 | Real Love | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Discography Studio albums Live albums Compilation albums The Best of Ashford & Simpson (1993, Capitol) Capitol Gold: The Best of Ashford & Simpson (1996, Capitol) The Gospel According to Ashford & Simpson: Count Your Blessings (1996, EMI) The Very Best of Ashford & Simpson (2002, Warner Bros./Rhino) The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (2008, Rhino) Love Will Fix It: The Warner Bros. Records Anthology 1973-1981 (2018, Groove Line) Singles Singles credited to