Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson
An African American team that should never be missed in a listing of this nature is the prolific couple whose name is literally iconic, and they are the talented Ashford and Simpson. Aside from writing numerous top 10 hits over careers that spanned decades, these two managed to overcome the curse that seems to be prevalent in celeb marriages; their marriage lasted nearly four decades — ended only by Nick Ashford’s passing.
