Renowned American R&B singer, Roberta Flack, celebrated for timeless classics like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly With His Song, has passed away at the age of 88.
Flack’s representatives confirmed the sad news in a statement, saying, “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.”
Born in North Carolina and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Flack’s musical journey began in classical piano before she transitioned into teaching music.
Her breakthrough came unexpectedly when jazz musician Les McCann discovered her performing in a club, later recalling how “her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.”
Though she had long been honing her craft, Flack’s rise to fame was cemented in her 30s 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 went on to win Song of the Year at the Grammys, a feat she repeated the following year with Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Her chart dominance continued in 1974 with Feel Like Makin’ Love, after which she took a step back from performing to focus on recording and philanthropic efforts.
Throughout her career, she collaborated with esteemed artists such as Donny Hathaway and Miles Davis, later releasing Let It Be Roberta, an album of Beatles covers, in 2012.
Flack always emphasized the depth of emotion in her music, once telling a journalist, “What I consider myself is a soulful singer, in that I try to sing with all the feeling that I have in my body and my mind. A person with true soul is one who can take anybody’s song and transcend all the flaws, the technique and just make you listen.”
Her contributions to music were widely recognized, earning her a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
Reflecting on the honour, she remarked, “It’s a tremendous and overwhelming honour. I’ve tried my entire career to tell stories through my music. This award is a validation to me that my peers heard my thoughts and took in what I have tried to give.”
Though once married to jazz musician Stephen Novosel, Flack dedicated much of her later years to the Roberta Flack School of Music in New York.
Her influence reached a new generation when The Fugees released their Grammy-winning version of Killing Me Softly, a song they later performed alongside her.
Flack’s legacy as a trailblazing vocalist, storyteller, and educator will continue to resonate for generations to come.
