Jack Ashford

Jack Ashford (born May 18, 1934) is an American musician who was a 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.

Early life Ashford was born and raised in Philadelphia. He lived with his mother in different relatives' houses, as she did not own a house. Ashford attended the Granoff School of Music.

Career Ashford was started out as a vibraphone player. His earliest known performance was around 1953, when he toured with The Hamiltones, in Providence, Rhode Island. He soon became a high-in demand session player, and is said to have played on thousands of Motown songs throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Other notable songs Ashford played tambourine on include "Nowhere to Run" by Martha & the Vandellas, "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes, "Going to a Go-Go" by the Miracles, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder,

Ashford moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. He played on two albums for The Mighty Clouds of Joy, a gospel quartet, Kickin' (1975) and Live and Direct (1977). His debut solo album was released in 1977. The early 1980s saw production work from Ashford but it proved to be the end of his career in music, he moved back to Detroit and retired from music. In 2014, he made a recent appearance on The Secret Sisters' second album Put Your Needle Down.

Personal life Ashford is married to his wife, Charlene, a retired schoolteacher, who helped him write his autobiography. A song on the album, "Shar", was written by Ashford for her.

With the death of Joe Messina in April 2022, Ashford is the last surviving member of the Funk Brothers.

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