Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning soul singer renowned for her iconic renditions of romantic ballads like “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” as well as her impactful collaborations and activism, has passed away at the age of 88, according to a statement from her publicist.
Flack died on Monday at her home, surrounded by family. Her death came after several years of health struggles, including a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in late 2022. This progressive disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ultimately prevented Flack from singing, as confirmed by her representatives at the time.
By the time of her passing, Flack had already established herself as one of the defining voices of her generation. Her career was marked by a series of chart-topping hits and a multitude of accolades, including 14 Grammy nominations and five wins, with a lifetime achievement award in 2020. She also earned back-to-back Record of the Year honors.
Questlove, the drummer for The Roots and musical director for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” honored Flack with a tribute, sharing a nostalgic photo of her and captioning it: “Thank You Roberta Flack. Rest In Melody.”
Born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Flack received classical music training from a young age, starting piano lessons at nine. By 15, she had earned a scholarship to Howard University, where she graduated in 1958 with a degree in music education.
Flack initially pursued a career in teaching and classical music, but she struggled to gain acceptance in the classical music world during the 1960s. She later expressed her frustration with the limitations placed on Black female musicians, who were often pigeonholed into soul music. “I’m a serious artist,” she once remarked, identifying with classical composers like Arthur Rubinstein and Glenn Gould. Eventually, a voice teacher encouraged her to turn to pop music, leading her to perform in clubs in Washington, DC.
Her big break came when jazz musician Les McCann discovered her while she was performing at Mr. Henry’s. McCann helped her secure an audition with Atlantic Records, where she impressed with a marathon performance, singing more than 40 songs over three hours. This led to the release of her debut album, First Take, in 1969, which included her version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The track was later used in Clint Eastwood’s 1971 film Play Misty for Me, catapulting Flack to stardom. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Record of the Year at the 1973 Grammy Awards.
By that time, Flack had already made a significant mark in music, releasing albums like Chapter Two, Quiet Fire, and a collaborative record with Donny Hathaway. The duo, who became close collaborators before Hathaway’s death in 1979, won a Grammy in 1973 for their duet “Where Is the Love.”
In 1973, Flack released Killing Me Softly, which featured the hit track “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” This song became another chart-topping success, spending five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It earned Flack two Grammy awards in 1974, for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female Artist.
Throughout her career, Flack interpreted songs from a diverse range of artists, including Leonard Cohen and The Beatles. By the time she released her fifth solo album, Feel Like Makin’ Love, she had taken on the role of producer, a position typically held by men in the male-dominated music industry. She credited herself as Rubina Flake, an alter ego she created for this purpose.
While many of her most famous songs were love ballads, Flack wasn’t afraid to address complex social issues in her music. She spoke out about racial injustice with tracks like “Tryin’ Times,” social and economic inequality in “Compared to What,” and acknowledged the struggles of the LGBTQ community in her version of “Ballad of the Sad Young Men.” The Rev. Jesse Jackson once described her as “socially relevant and politically unafraid.” However, in her later years, Flack expressed disappointment that many of the issues she sang about decades earlier were still prevalent.
In 2020, she shared her sadness that the songs she recorded 50 years prior about civil rights, poverty, hunger, and inequality were still relevant. She pointed out connections between her music and current issues like economic disparity, the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, and the ongoing struggle for activism over apathy.
Flack’s influence has endured over the years, inspiring younger artists such as Lauryn Hill and the Fugees, who released their own highly acclaimed version of “Killing Me Softly” in 1996, as well as Lizzo, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande.
Flack’s music, whether focused on protest, romance, or timeless classics, always carried a deeply personal message. As she told NPR music journalist Ann Powers in 2020, “Every single song I’ve recorded expressed something deep and personal to me. Each was my singular focus whether in the studio or on the stage.”