Jack Ashford | |
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Ashford at a ceremony in March 2013 to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the Funk Brothers
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Background information | |
Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
May 18, 1934
Instruments | Percussion, tambourine |
Labels | Motown |
Associated acts | The Funk Brothers |
Jack Ashford (born May 18, 1934), known to his friends as Jashford, is an African-American musician, widely known as the percussionist for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the 1960s and early 1970s. Ashford is most famous for playing the tambourine on hundreds of Motown recordings. His definitive performance is on "War" by Edwin Starr; other notable songs Ashford played tambourine on include "Nowhere to Run" by Martha & the Vandellas, "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, and "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. He also played vibes, shakers, and the marimba on the label's recordings, such as The Miracles' "Ooh Baby Baby". The early 1980s saw production work from Ashford but it proved to be the end of his career in music. However, in 2014, he made a recent appearance on The Secret Sisters' second album Put Your Needle Down.
He is not known to be related to famed singer-songwriter Nick Ashford, who also worked for Motown Records.
Instruments he is known to have played are the tambourine, vibraphone, marimba, maracas, cabasa, bells, chimes, bell tree, finger cymbals, kazoo, triangle, wood block, handclaps, foot stomps and hotel sheet.