Ashton came to prominence in the early 1980s as the guitarist of the Psychedelic Furs. The band is an English group formed in 1977 by Richard and Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn and Roger Morris. Their first album release was a hit in the UK and Europe, and they had added John Ashton on guitar and Vince Ely on drums. Their second release "Talk Talk Talk" placed them on the US charts. Before the release of "Forever Now" in late 1982, Morris and Kilburn left the band, and Ashton and the Butler brothers went on to release "Mirror Moves" and other albums. The Psychedelic Furs went on hiatus after their 1992 tour, but reformed in 2001. Since then, Ashton has joined the band on occasion for tours.