We Remember Nick Ashford - RIP

'Solid' singer/songwriter passed away at 70 of throat cancer.

By Jocelyn Vena

Nick Ashford, one half of songwriting and performing duo Ashford & Simpson, has died. The legendary Motown artist passed away in New York City on Monday at the age of 70 from throat cancer.

The pair found fame with the Berry Gordy-founded record label, writing hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand" and "I'm Every Woman" for singers like Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and Chaka Khan, in the '60s and '70s. The pair's breakout hit came courtesy of "Let's Go Get Stoned" recorded by Ray Charles in 1966.

The duo also had a very successful recording career of their own, characterized by tracks that celebrated love, such as "Don't Cost You Nothing," "It Seems to Hang On," "Found A Cure" and "Solid."

Friends and fellow music industry legends are mourning Ashford's loss. In a statement to The Associated Press, Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire said, "They had magic, and that's what creates those wonderful hits, that magic. Without those songs, those artists wouldn't have been able to go to the next level."

Nick Ashford was born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina, and was raised in Michigan, where he sang at Willow Run Baptist Church, according to The New York Times. After a brief stint at Eastern Michigan University, he moved to New York City to become a dancer, but failed to make a career of it. While living on the streets in New York, he attended the White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem, where he met Valerie Simpson. The pair began writing songs together and was signed to Motown as staff writers and producers, beginning what would be a fruitful music career.

After Gordy discouraged their desire to perform their own songs, they left Motown in the early '70s and married in 1974. They have two daughters, Nicole and Asia.

In the mid-'90s, the duo opened the Sugar Bar in Manhattan, where they still frequently performed. They also connected with a new generation of music lovers when they worked with the late Amy Winehouse on her track, "Tears Dry on Their Own." The pair received a songwriting credit for the song, which samples "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

Diana Ross Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Sister Act 2 - Whoopi Goldberg

Guess Who is coming to Patti's Dinner...

I love how creative individuals can be and how talented they are in creating their work. Imagine if Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce', Rihanna, Diana Ross, Maya Angelou, and Chaka Khan all got together for a "private" dinner. Well HERE IS YOUR CHANCE!!! And trust the DRAMA explodes!!!

Are Third Wheels Allowed To Hang Out With The Lovers?

When you're in a relationship and the hang outs have been stunning, you always think about what's it going to be like when the two of you go out with each other again. All of a sudden, things are beginning to change. A third person has been added to the mix. You are being introduced to this person who begins hanging out with you two more often.

The two of you have been going out for weeks now. You want all of those times to be romantic, but it's hard for you to do when you look over and see this other person following your every move. Then every time you try to tell your mate that it's starting to get awkward, he/she always answer with the same sentence "That is my friend."

Later on, secrets begin to come out. Almost everything you predicted turn out to be true. This person is not only a friend, but turns out to be a secret lover. A secret lover that your mate has sex with on the side or sometimes wants you to get involved with in threesomes.

You always knew that there was something weird about this other person, but you didn't know that things were going on the way you predicted. Now only question is going on in your head. Did the third person knew about it and was playing along?

It's a habit that I've seen going around with many relationships. You meet someone. You go on wonderful dates. All of a sudden, there is a third person hanging out with you two everywhere you go. Then everything that you are doing with your mate has the other person involved in it, especially sex. Later on, the secrets are revealed.

Knowing that this is going on in relationships, I can't help but wonder. Are third wheels allowed to hang out with the lovers?

Let Us Help You with THE HELP

I just got back from a special-screening of "The Help" at my local movie theatre, so I thought that I might as well do a review for all of you who are somewhat interested to see this movie and need a PUSH.

Now, first off, I must admit that I have only read a portion of the book, but I definitely do know a lot about it. After watching the trailer, I was intrigued. At first glance, the casting caught my attention big-time. Emma Stone as 'Skeeter'? I bet most people were as shocked as I was to find out that she was cast as the main character -- but let me tell you what: the casting was superb! I could not have chosen a better cast than what was already chosen. There was amazing chemistry between both the antagonists and protagonists. I won't go into too much depth about the characters, but for me, Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Sissy Spacek, and Octavia Spencer were the shining stars of the movie.

I know that there has been an on-going issue about this movie from a lot of people claiming that "the blacks had to be 'saved' by the whites" (pardon the language), or something along those lines. I have to agree that the trailer does give off that type of vibe -- Skeeter saving the colored-folks -- however, the movie tells and depicts otherwise - the colored-folks actually saved themselves. Minny and Aibileen, as well as the other colored-folks in the community, were the real "heroes" of the movie; they just needed someone to push them to their potential (Skeeter).

I can not remember the last time I saw a movie that inspired me, made me cry, made me laugh, and made me sad, angry, and hopeful, all at the same time -- this is what "The Help" strides and aims for, without making it "cheesy". Without a doubt in my mind, there are definitely Oscar-worthy performances in this movie. Not only does this movie depict just the colored-folks' side of the story, but it also equally shows the feelings of the white-folks, as well. So, you definitely get both sides of the story without it being more or less "mean" or "degrading" to any sides.

There are definitely a few awkward moments in the movie, but what movie doesn't have them? This movie started around 10:10 and ended around 12:20 -- about 2 hours and 10 minutes, give or take, if my calculations are correct. However, this movie only felt like it was an hour-long. It was so good that I didn't even know the two hours passed by until the theatre lights lid and the rolling credits began.

All in all, this is a DEFINITELY-MUST-SEE movie. I personally believe that it is one of the best movies of 2011. Go see it -- you will not regret it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

And during its opening weekend (August 12^th) Box Office reported it came in 2^nd at $26.0M behind Planet of the Apes at $27.8M. You need to catch up…