R&B vocalist Roberta Flack, best known for her chartbusters The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly With His Song, breathed her last on Monday, February 24, confirmed her rep. She was 88.
As per a report in BBC, the statement by her rep reads: “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator”.
R&B vocalist Roberta Flack, best known for her chartbusters The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly With His Song, breathed her last on Monday, February 24, confirmed her rep. She was 88.
As per a report in BBC, the statement by her rep reads: “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator”.
In 2022, Flack had announced that she had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, due to which she couldn’t sing further.
Flack was born in North Carolina and raised in Arlington, Virginia. She started her career as a classical pianist and received a full school scholarship to Howard University at the age of 15.
Her recording career took off when musician Les McCann saw her singing in a jazz club, who later wrote that “her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known”.
In her 30s, her recording of Ewan MacColl’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was used in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut 1971 film Play Misty For Me.
It was named Song of the year at the Grammys. At the 15th Grammy, she won her first two Grammy Awards: Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for Where Is The Love with Donny Hathaway, from their 1972 duet album.
Flack’s second chartbuster Killing Me Softly came in 1973, and she yet again clinched the Grammy.
She topped the charts again in 1974 with Feel Like Makin’ Love, and had another chart-topping single, The Closer I Get to You in 1978. Then she took a break from performing to concentrate on recording and charitable causes.
In the1980s, she spent most of her time touring and worked with artists including Donny Hathaway and Miles Davis.
In 1991, she was back to the charts with Maxi Priest and sang a duet, Set the Night to Music.
In 2012, Flack recorded an album of Beatles covers, Let It Be Roberta.
Flack received Grammy nominations 13 times, and won 5. In 2020, she was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys.
