Roberta Flack, the legendary singer known for hits like Killing Me Softly With His Song and The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, passed away on Monday at the age of 88.
Her publicist confirmed her death but did not specify the cause. Flack had been battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, since 2022, which had taken away her ability to sing. According to the statement, she died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
Flack, whose smooth and soulful voice defined 1970s R&B, described her style as “scientific soul”—a blend of technical precision and emotional depth. She played a key role in shaping the “quiet storm” genre, which influenced R&B well into the 1980s and 1990s.
Born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on February 10, 1937, Flack grew up in Arlington, Virginia, in a musically inclined family. A gifted pianist, she earned a scholarship to Howard University at just 15. Her music career took off in Washington, D.C., where she was discovered by jazz musician Les McCann and later signed with Atlantic Records.
Although she started her recording career in her early 30s, Flack’s rise to fame was swift. Her song The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face gained massive popularity after being featured in Clint Eastwood’s 1971 film Play Misty for Me, earning her the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972. The following year, she made history as the first artist to win the same award two years in a row, thanks to Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Her influence extended into the 1990s when the Fugees’ version of Killing Me Softly brought her music to a new generation. Flack was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
Beyond music, she was active in social movements, advocating for civil rights and performing at the funeral of baseball icon Jackie Robinson. She once reflected on her journey, saying, “I protested as a singer with a lot of love.”
