Soul icon Roberta Flack dies, aged 88

24 February 2025, 15:44

Legendary singer Roberta Flack has passed away at the age of 88.

The singer best known for tracks including 'Killing Me Softly With His Song', 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' and duets with Donny Hathaway, had previously had a stroke in 2016.

“We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” a statement from her spokesperson read.

“She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”

Born on February 10th, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina to a church organist mother and a father who was a draftsman and pianist, Flack's exceptional musical talents emerged early.

A prodigious child pianist, she received a full music scholarship to Howard University at just 15 years old, becoming one of the university's youngest students ever. After graduating, she taught music in Washington DC while performing evening sets at local clubs.

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song (Official Video)

Her breakthrough came in 1968 when jazz pianist Les McCann discovered her performing at a Washington nightclub and arranged an audition with Atlantic Records. Her debut album, First Take, released in 1969, initially received modest attention.

However, her career catapulted to international fame when Clint Eastwood featured her rendition of 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me. The song subsequently spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 and earned Flack her first Grammy Award.

What followed was a remarkable period of commercial and artistic triumph. Her 1973 masterpiece 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' won Record of the Year and became her second number-one hit, cementing her status as a global superstar.

Flack's fruitful creative partnership with Donny Hathaway produced classics like 'Where Is the Love' and 'The Closer I Get to You', recordings that showcased their extraordinary vocal chemistry and emotional depth.

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Flack defied easy categorisation. Her sophisticated interpretations transcended genre boundaries, blending elements of soul, folk, jazz, and classical music into something entirely her own. Her approach was contemplative and intimate, characterised by impeccable phrasing and emotional nuance rather than vocal pyrotechnics.

Roberta Flack - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 1972

Her later years brought significant health challenges. In 2016, she suffered a stroke, and in 2018, she announced she had been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which eventually robbed her of her ability to sing.

The Roberta Flack Foundation supported music education initiatives, and in her final years, she established a new foundation focused on supporting research into ALS.

Beyond her musical achievements, Flack was a committed humanitarian who lent her support to numerous causes, particularly educational opportunities for underprivileged youth and animal welfare.

Flack was married once in 1966, to jazz musician Steve Novosel – but the couple divorced in 1972. She is survived by their son, musician Bernard Wright.

The soft-spoken revolutionary who changed popular music with her whisper rather than a shout leaves behind a catalogue of recordings that will continue to resonate with listeners for generations to come.