Ross, having just left The Supremes after a decade of serving as that group's lead singer, went through a difficult situation trying to piece a solo album together. With Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson writing and producing for her, and Paul Riser arranging, Ross recorded "Reach Out and Touch", which carried a heavy gospel influence, and was one of the few songs the singer recorded to express her social conscience, previously experimented with Supremes singles such as "Love Child" and "I'm Livin' in Shame."

"Reach Out and Touch" peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #7 on the R&B charts with 500,000 copies sold. It was also a hit in Great Britain, making #33 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1970. While the song's initial success fell short of expectations, "Reach Out and Touch" became one of Ross' most popular and notable songs. During her concert performances of the song, Ross often had the whole crowd turn to their neighbors, and "reach out and touch" their hands.

On Saturday, July 28, 1984 Vicki McClure sang "Reach Out and Touch" before an estimated TV audience of 2.5 billion people during the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, CA.

Ashford and Simpson would perform the song with Teddy Pendergrass in the Philadelphia portion of Live Aid in 1985. In 2005, Ross would perform the song in closing, Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope.

...
Wikipedia