Nickolas Ashford of Motown duo Ashford and Simpson dies

CNN) -- Nickolas Ashford, one-half of the successful Motown singer-songwriter duo of Ashford and Simpson, died Monday afternoon, his longtime former publicist said. Liz Rosenberg, who in addition to having been their publicist described herself as a close friend of Ashford and his wife Valerie Simpson, said she was "heartbroken" to hear of Ashford's death.
"He was a true king," she said. "I loved him very much."
Ashford had been battling and was being treated for throat cancer, and Rosenberg said she believed his death "was quite sudden." His wife and children were at his bedside when he died, she said.
He was 69, reported imdb.com and numerous other sources.                                  2009: Ashford 'Solid as a rock'
According to their MySpace page, Ashford and Simpson met in 1964 in New York City. Within two years, as songwriters with Scepter Songwriters, they scored their first hit with Ray Charles' "Let's Go Get Stoned."
The couple then joined Motown Records, where they wrote a host of popular songs for the likes of Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Later in their careers, their songwriting credits included Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman."

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