Jack Ashford

Who is Jack Ashford?

Jack Ashford, 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.