T.R.O.Y.

Pour out a lil’ something for Nick Ashford, one half of the prolific Motown songwriting duo and pop group Ashford & Simpson.

For those who know Ashford & Simpson mostly for their ’80s hit “Solid As A Rock,” Jay Smooth dug up 12 other classic songs that they wrote over the course of their nearly 50-year music career.

I’ll also fondly remember Ashford for his role as the shady preacher in “New Jack City” and quite possibly the inspiration for this sketch:

Or maybe that’s supposed to be Rene & Angela? I dunno.

Anyway, here’s his obit in the NYT.

Joel

Joel Anderson —blackink —  writes about sports, politics, crime, courts, and other issues far beyond his competence at BuzzFeed. He has worked at media outlets in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Atlanta and contributed to a number of publications, including The Root and The American Prospect, among many others.