Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s, has died at age 88. She passed away at home surrounded by family, according to her publicist Elaine Schock. Flack had announced in 2022 that she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which left her unable to sing.
From Music Teacher to Overnight Sensation: Roberta Flack’s Extraordinary Rise
Roberta Cleopatra Flack was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia, to a family of musicians. Her exceptional talent earned her a full scholarship to Howard University at just 15 years old. After graduating from the historically Black university, she taught music in Washington DC-area junior high schools for several years while performing after hours in clubs.
Her performances at Washington’s renowned Mr. Henry’s club attracted celebrity patrons like Burt Bacharach, Ramsey Lewis, and Johnny Mathis. The club’s owner, Henry Yaffe, even converted an apartment above into a private studio called the Roberta Flack Room. These early performances caught the attention of jazz musician Les McCann, who later wrote that “her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.”
Little known before her early 30s, Flack became an overnight star after Clint Eastwood used “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me.” The hushed, hymn-like ballad topped the Billboard pop chart in 1972 and received a Grammy for record of the year. Interestingly, Flack had used this song while teaching music to junior high students years earlier.
Grammy Success and Unique Musical Style Defined a Generation
In 1973, Flack matched her previous achievement with “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” becoming the first artist to win consecutive Grammys for best record. Her intimate vocal and musical style set her apart from contemporaries. While versatile enough to channel the up-tempo gospel passion of Aretha Franklin, she preferred a more measured approach.
“I don’t consider myself a soul singer. I’m not a jazz singer,” Flack once said. “I express myself and I object to categorizing expression. A true artist is a person who is totally devoted to the indulgence of her art form. I am a musician, and I use music to tell stories of my life and my beliefs.”
Her other hits from the 1970s included “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and two memorable duets with her close friend and former Howard classmate Donny Hathaway: “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You.” This partnership ended tragically when Hathaway died by suicide in 1979 while they were recording an album together. “We were deeply connected creatively,” Flack told Vibe in 2022. “He could play anything, sing anything.”
Musical Legacy and Social Impact Beyond the Charts
Flack’s influence extended far beyond her chart success. She was a sophisticated and bold presence in both the music world and civil rights movements of her time. Her friends included the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, whom Flack visited in prison during Davis’s murder and kidnapping trial, from which she was later acquitted.
She sang at the funeral of Jackie Robinson, major league baseball’s first Black player, and contributed to the feminist children’s project “Free to Be… You and Me.” Throughout her career, Flack won five Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2020. In 2022, Beyoncé placed Flack alongside Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross in her “Break My Soul (Queens Remix).”
For years, Flack lived in Manhattan’s Dakota apartment building, on the same floor as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who became a close friend. She devoted extensive time to the Roberta Flack School of Music in New York, primarily serving students between ages 6 and 14. “I love that connection to other artists because we understand music, we live music, it’s our language,” Flack once said. “Through music we understand what we are thinking and feeling.”
Enduring Influence and Cultural Relevance Across Generations
While she never matched her initial run of chart success, Flack continued to make an impact with hits like “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” with Peabo Bryson in the 1980s. In the mid-90s, she received renewed attention when the Fugees recorded their Grammy-winning cover of “Killing Me Softly,” which she eventually performed on stage with the hip-hop group.
Her debut album “First Take” (1969) showcased her remarkable ability to blend gospel, soul, flamenco, and jazz. This distinctive musical approach made her a beloved figure for both audiences and fellow musicians. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! celebrated her as a Living Legend, with artists like John Legend and Maxwell participating in tributes to her groundbreaking career.
“Thank you, Roberta, for the songs that touched our souls and the legacy that will forever inspire,” said BLACK GIRLS ROCK! in a tribute. Her passing marks the end of a remarkable journey from music teacher to Grammy-winning legend, but her influence on music and culture remains indelible. As she once said herself, “Music expresses our lives and crosses all barriers, and we need that expression now more than ever.”
