Rufus E. “Son” Cannon, 79 of Clinton died August 19th. Services will be held Thursday, August 25th at 2:00pm at Friendship AME Clinton.

Sanders-Thompson Funeral Service

Alvin Luster, 52 of Gray Court died August 22nd. Services are incomplete.

Beasley Funeral Home

Mildred Reeder Vincent, 68 of Laurens died August 22nd. Services are incomplete.

Beasley Funeral Home

Agnes Mayes, 72 of Woodruff dies August 23rd. Services are incoplete.

W.J. Gist Mortuary

Paul Lenear Spires, 57 of Laurens died August 22nd 2011. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm Sunday, August 28th at Todd Memorial Presbyterian Church.

The Kennedy Mortuary

The man who could quite possibly be responsible for your inception has lost his battle with throat cancer.  Nick Ashford, one half of the writing duo Ashford & Simpson passed on Monday at the age of 70. His writing credits include “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing”, “Your Precius Love”, “You’re All I Need to Get By”, and the hit sung by the artists themselves “Solid As A Rock”. The following is from our friend Larry at www.soulandbluesreport.com via The Associated Press:

NEWYORK — Nick Ashford, one-half of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson that penned elegant, soulful classics for the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye and funk hits for Chaka Khan and others, died Monday at age 70, his former publicist said.

Ashford, who along with wife Valerie Simpson wrote some of Motown’s biggest hits, died in aNew York Cityhospital, said publicist Liz Rosenberg, who was Ashford’s longtime friend. He had been suffering from throat cancer and had undergone radiation treatment, she told The Associated Press.

Though they had some of their greatest success at Motown with classics like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand” by Ross and “You’re All I Need To Get By” by Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Ashford & Simpson also created anthems for others, like “I’m Every Woman” by Khan (and later remade by Whitney Houston). Ashford & Simpson also had success writing for themselves: Perhaps the best-known song they sang was the 1980s hit “Solid As A Rock..”

“His music is unmatched in terms of great songwriting,” Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire said after learning of his friend’s death.

“They had magic and that’s what creates those wonderful hits, that magic,” White added. “Without those songs, those artists wouldn’t have been able to go to the next level.”

Others in the music industry also mourned the loss. On Twitter, Alicia Keys wrote, “I’m so sad that he’s gone. … So many of the greatests are going to a greater place … what a legacy of infectious music … man!”

Ashford and Simpson’s relationship stretched more than four decades. They met in 1964 in aNew York Citychurch. Ashford, aSouth Carolinanative, had come to the city to pursue a dance career. Simpson was a music student, and after connecting with her, they decided to start to write songs together.

Their first major success occurred when they came up with “Let’s Go Get Stoned” for Ray Charles. The bluesy, gospel-tinged song became a huge hit for Charles, and soon, they came to the attention of Motown Records and began penning hits for their artists.

They started out writing soulful, romantic works for the duo of Gaye and Terrell that would become instant classics, like “Your Precious Love,” and “Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing.” In fact, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was originally their hit, until Ross later rerecorded it with a new arrangement that had sweeping pop grandeur and made it her signature song.

Ross may have been their greatest muse: With her, they had some of their biggest songs and helped give her career-defining hits that would distinguish her solo career apart from The Supremes. Among the songs Ross made hits were “Reach Out and Touch,” “The Boss,” “My House,” and “Missing You,” a tribute to the late Gaye and others. They also composed some of the music for “The Wiz,” the movie musical that starred Ross and Michael Jackson.

In an industry where marriages and partnerships are fleeting, Ashford and Simpson stood the test of time.

“The thing is they were married and working together, that was what was special about them. Everybody admired that,” White said.

The duo, married for 38 years, helped sell millions of records for several artists. They also had success as their own entity, but despite “Solid As a Rock,” their songs were dwarfed by those they penned for others. They continued to craft hits even into the new millennium: They are credited as co-writers on Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry On Their Own.”

Lonnie Edward Dunaway, age 87 of Laurens died August 17th. Graveside services will be held at 11:00am Friday August 19th at Sands Springs UMC.

The Kennedy Mortuary

Ramon Beaty age 38 of Woodruff died August 16th. Services are incomplete

W.J. Gist Mortuary

Angela Shell of Fountain Inn died August 14th. Services are incomplete

Beasley Funeral Home