When Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson came to Washtenaw Community College for an onstage interview and concert in 2005, it easily could have been seen as the cap to a remarkable career in pop music. That show marked the first time that Ashford — who grew up in the Ypsilanti area and graduated from Willow Run High School — and Simpson performed in his hometown area, after a long and successful run as singers, songwriters and producers.

But Ashford and Simpson have kept busy since then. Most recently, they've conquered the world of the high-end nightclub, winning raves for several engagements at New York's prestigious Feinstein's at Loews Regency. Earlier this year, they released a DVD/CD arising from those shows. And Sunday, they support that project with a return to Ashford's home turf — a concert at the Michigan Theater.

Sunday's show is a benefit for the Ann Arbor chapter of The Links Inc., a service organization supporting the culture and economic survival of people of African ancestry.

"The Real Thing," the DVD/CD project, marks the first time Ashford & Simpson have released a concert recording, and it spans all of their amazing career - songs they wrote for others as well as themselves. All Music Guide's Andy Kellman wrote, "it's not quite a greatest-hits set, but it's both rich and unpredictable enough to leave any follower satisfied."

Although Ashford, 67, found his biggest career break with Motown Records, just down the street from his hometown, he was living in New York when he made the connection. That's where he met Simpson, 63, who quickly became his musical partner and, eventually, his wife. (The two have been married for 35 years.)

The pair started as songwriters; among their early success was "Let's Go Get Stoned" for Ray Charles. But they really hit it big as members of the Motown stable, where they enjoyed an especially fruitful relationship writing and producing many of the hit duets by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love," "You're All I Need to Get By" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" are all the work of Ashford & Simpson.

Their other hits at Motown included the Marvelettes' "Destination: Anywhere" and Diana Ross' early solo hit "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Away from Motown, their successes include Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" and Aretha Franklin's "Cry Like a Baby."

Although Motown issued some recordings of Valerie Simpson as a solo singer, the pair felt the label wasn't really interested in letting them develop their performing career. So in 1973 they quit Motown to pursue that dream — and quickly realized it.

The switch wasn't entirely easy. In a 2005 interview with The Ann Arbor News, Ashford recalled, "It took me five years to stop sweating before I did a show ... But I feel very comfortable now. I guess it's because I feel comfortable with the audience. It's not like I'm trying to prove anything anymore."

As performers, Ashford & Simpson racked up a number of hits in the 1970s and '80s, including "It Seems to Hang On," "Found a Cure" and "Love Don't Make it Right." In 1984 they scored a major pop hit with "Solid," which has been often invoked as a description for both their career and their personal relationship, perhaps a classic case of opposites attracting.

"I was from Willow Run: quiet, laid back and cool. Valerie was from New York: feisty and filled with energy, " Ashford said during the pair's 2005 appearance here. "When people heard our work, they'd say 'Girl, you are great.' Never once did they look at me, as if I didn't have anything to do with it."

In 1996 Ashford & Simpson released the album "Been Found" in conjunction with Maya Angelou, and in recent years they have said they are working on a stage musical based on the E. Lynn Harris novel "Invisible Life."

This decade has also brought the Feinstein's engagements, prompting The New York Times' Stephen Holden to write, "The relationship between this cheerfully feisty woman, shaking her shoulders and punching the air, and her sleepy love god is alchemical; when you pull his raw silk covering away from her brass, the metal has turned to gold."

PREVIEW Ashford & Simpson Who: R&B icons (and one hometown hero). What: Soul favorites revisited. When: Sunday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m. Where: Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. Why: Concert proceeds benefit the Ann Arbor chapter of The Links Inc., a service organization supporting the culture of people of African ancestry. How much: $50-$75. Student tickets, $25. Tickets can be purchased at the Michigan Theater box office from noon-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-7 p.m. Sunday. They are also available from Ticketmaster web site, Ticketmaster outlets including the Michigan Union Ticket Office, or by phone at 800-745-3000.

"CBS Sunday Morning" profile of Ashford & Simpson:

Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.