European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 21, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 daily Magazine the stars and stripes april re living their love songs husband wife pop music duo Nickolas Ashford writes the Valerie Simpson writes the new York times photo by Judy Klemesrud new York times they met at the White Rock Baptist Church in she was a 17yearold High school student who Sang in the he was a 21yearold penniless newcomer from Willow who had been sleeping on a Bench in Central Park in today they Are known As Ashford one of pop musics most successful duos and one of its few married they write and sing mainly about and one of their most recent a Celebration of Long lasting conjugal helped give them their first 1 Alburn on on the Black music the album includes songs with such titles As i love closest to love and tonight we escape we make Nickolas Ashford writes the Valerie Simpson writes the they have been writing songs together for 20 years and have been married for what sets them apart from two other husband wife music Steve Lawrence and eydie Gorme and the Captain and is their emphasis on Why love because its the most interesting and won Kerful feeling you have to Ash Ord said j get bored when in not writing about politics or social commentaries dont inspire love lifts me so that Why i Deal with there have been oodles and oodles of love songs through the Bis wife and to try to say it one More time in a fresh Way is a the both dressed in Black and were sitting in the living room of their town Bouse on one of the most attractive blocks in the East it includes a to floor studio where they a a huge mirrored bathroom with a round tub in the Middle and a Bill Cosby lives next according to the one of the reasons they have stayed together 19 Jong in a profession where relation ships Are often fleeting the that they were friends for eight years before they became romantically i thought of him As a she we really got to know each you know How you try to appear so wonderful in a Romance there was never any of that with we didst have to play any her husband Friendship turned Romance one night when the Cou ple danced together in a Harlem night they had danced together Many times but this according to Sparks began to they capped off the evening with a stroll through Central Simpson said she was a bit reluctant to get involved with Ashford because she feared it might affect their working they had already writ ten hit songs Sung by other including aint no Mountain High lets go get your precious and reach out and touch somebody but love won they lived together for two then married at their 14room Home on eight acres in which has a Tennis court and a swim Ming when we finally said i we both started Ashford they have a 10year old the couple has become so associated with love songs that even the mention of the word divorce in their presence seems likes we fight All the Simpson but they Are interesting usually about principles Nicks it Hast been her husband Ive threatened to then i ask where am i he her signature tiny braids hanging Down her said one of the reasons she believes their marriage has been successful is that she has tried to keep the mystery in she said she didst question her husband about Bis whereabouts which i he interjected and that she didst mind when he wanted to go up to their House in Westport by which he did re Ashford said he likes Solitude and that he had been known to sit for five or six hours doing he said that by being alone he Felt he could receive thoughts for his asked if she telephoned her husband while he was in Simpson smiled and Only but it was with Good news that i knew he wanted to they have nicknames for each he is the Turtle because he is thoughtful and dreamy she is the Rabbit because she is productive and Thor Ashford said he often got his ideas for songs during daily walks around the he tucks his Long curly hair under a hat and dons Large sunglasses to avoid being he said he got the idea for solid one Day after several people in the appreciating his stylish had Given him a thumbs up gesture and the solid so i came Home with the word he i thought it applied to our i mentioned it to and she played a few pretty soon we had after dozens of love three Gold albums and Many top 20 the couple said they preferred writing to its the the baby Simpson its most a part of her Hus band one to worry there is safety in unlike most pop music who seem to prefer los Ashford Simpson have chosen to live in new York she was born in the and he Savoured the excitement and the overcrowded Ness of the City since he moved there from Michigan and slept in Central Park for months because he had Little dont fee sorry for he said of the homeless period in Bis 1 think everything that i like about myself i Learned