Legendary singer Roberta Flack, who in the 1970s rose to fame with hit songs such as “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” has died at age 88. Known for effortlessly blending R&B, soul, and jazz, Flack went on to become one of the most respected singers in the history of music, paving the way for heartfelt, genre-bending performers with her unique style.
“We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” a spokesperson said via a statement. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.” Suzanne Koga, Flack’s manager and friend told The New York Times that the cause was cardiac arrest, and the singer died en route to the hospital.
Born in 1937 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Flack and her family later relocated to Arlington, in the greater D.C. area. The beloved musician had early access to musical arts, since her mother taught music and played the organ at her local church. She began playing piano at 9, and proved to be a talented pianist, which earned her a full scholarship to study music at Howard University when she was only 15. A fan of Bach, Verdi, Mozart, Chopin, and Schumann, Flack aimed to follow a classical music path. However, she was dissuaded due to limited opportunities for Black women in the field, and a dean suggested she become a teacher.
As an educator, Flack taught music and English, taking posts in North Carolina and Washington. In North Carolina, she worked for a severely underserved community, but didn’t let the obstacles stop her from sharing her craft with the children. “There was no piano in my classroom, but I went from room to room with a pitch pipe and autoharp, teaching them music,” Flack explained in a 1971 interview with Ebony Magazine.
After moving back to the Washington area, she continued working as a teacher while making a name for herself around the D.C. nightclubs. She performed both as a talented piano player accompanying other singers and performing on her own. This prompted her to develop a repertoire of about 600 songs, which she made her own with her straightforward stage presence and enthralling voice. Praise from her fellow musicians led Flack to sign a deal with Atlantic Records, which released her debut, First Take, in 1969.
In 1971, Flack was propelled to stardom when her version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was featured in Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me. The song spent six weeks at #1 and earned Flack the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1973. A year later, she won the same award for “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” becoming the first artist to win in back-to-back years.
Flack continued releasing records throughout her life, working with a wide array of collaborators and inspiring artists across many generations and genres. In 2022, it was revealed that she had stopped performing after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Following her passing, the singer was honored by musicians and friends, including Carole King, Dionne Warwick, and Lauryn Hill, who acknowledged the mark Flack left in the musical world. “Whitney Houston once said to me that Roberta Flack’s voice was one of the purest voices she’d ever heard,” Hill wrote. “Mrs. Flack was an artist, a singer-songwriter, a pianist and composer who moved me and showed me through her own creative choices and standards what else was possible within the idiom of Soul. I will forever be grateful for the sensitivity and delicate power of her Love and Artistry. Rest in Grace Beloved One.”
Legendary R&B, soul, and jazz singer Roberta Flack has died at age 88.
Flack rose to fame in the 1970s with hit songs such as “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
Photo: CMS-Creative Management Associates/John Levy (management) via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
“She died peacefully surrounded by her family,” a spokesperson announced. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Sources: Roberta Flack, Virtuoso Singer-Pianist Who Ruled the Charts, Dies at 88; Roberta Flack, soul and R&B icon behind Killing Me Softly, dies aged 88; Roberta Flack, singer of ‘Killing Me Softly,’ has died at age 88
Related Articles:
RIP Astrud Gilberto: Celebrating the Bossa Nova Singer of ’The Girl From Ipanema’
RIP Jimmy Buffett: The “Margaritaville” Singer Dies at 76
RIP Bill Withers: Paying Tribute to Legendary Singer-Songwriter of ‘Lean on Me’
RIP David Lynch: Legendary Filmmaker Renowned for His Evocative Dark Style Dies at 78