Killing Me Softly singer Roberta Flack dies aged 88

Roberta Flack, the iconic R&B singer known for hits like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly With His Song, has passed away at 88. Her representatives shared the news, stating, "We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family."

Flack, a boundary-breaking artist and educator, had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2022, which had affected her ability to sing.

Born in North Carolina and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Flack started her musical journey as a classical pianist, earning a scholarship to Howard University at just 15. Although she initially focused on classical music and teaching, she also performed pop standards in her free time. Her discovery by jazz musician Les McCann at a nightclub set the stage for her recording career. Her first major hit came in her 30s with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, which was featured in Clint Eastwood's Play Misty for Me (1971). This song earned her a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Flack repeated this success with Killing Me Softly With His Song the following year, winning another Grammy.

Flack continued to dominate the charts with hits like Feel Like Makin' Love in 1974 and dedicated herself to both her music and philanthropic efforts. Throughout her career, she worked alongside artists such as Donny Hathaway and Miles Davis. In 1991, she had a resurgence with a duet with Maxi Priest, Set the Night to Music. She also released an album of Beatles covers, Let It Be Roberta, in 2012.

Flack, a soulful singer known for infusing every song with deep emotion, often said she aimed to transcend flaws and technique, capturing the essence of a song. She was once married to jazz musician Stephen Novosel and later devoted much of her time to the Roberta Flack School of Music in New York. Reverend Jesse Jackson described her as “socially relevant and politically unafraid.”

In 2020, after surviving a stroke, Flack received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys, an honor she described as overwhelming. Her music reached new generations when The Fugees’ 1996 cover of Killing Me Softly became a global hit and earned a Grammy. Flack even performed the song with the group on stage.

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