Jack Ashford

Biography

Jack Ashford is a percussionist born on May 18, 1934, in Philadelphia, who rose to fame playing tambourine for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the 1960s and early 1970s. His earliest known performance was with The Hamiltones in Providence, Rhode Island, around 1953, before being hired by Motown in 1963. Ashford's distinctive performances can be heard on iconic tracks like "War" by Edwin Starr and "Nowhere to Run" by Martha & the Vandellas.