- R&B singer Roberta Flack dies at 88, leaving behind iconic hits
- Flack won two Grammy Awards for Song of the Year in the 1970s
- She was awarded a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2020
Legendary R&B singer Roberta Flack, renowned for hits like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly With His Song, has passed away at the age of 88.
Her representatives issued a statement early on February 24, 2025, confirming her death. “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” the statement said. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.”
Flack, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2022, had previously shared that she could no longer sing due to the progression of the illness.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Flack’s early musical career was rooted in classical piano, and she began her career as a music teacher. Her journey into the recording industry began after she was discovered singing in a jazz club by musician Les McCann. McCann would later describe Flack’s voice as one that “touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.”
It wasn’t until Flack was in her 30s that she achieved her first major hit, with her rendition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, which was used in Clint Eastwood’s 1971 film Play Misty for Me. The song was named Song of the Year at the Grammys, marking a major turning point in her career. She went on to win a second Grammy the following year for Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Flack continued to top the charts in 1974 with Feel Like Makin’ Love, after which she took a brief hiatus from performing to focus on recording and charitable endeavors.
Throughout her illustrious career, Flack collaborated with prominent artists such as Donny Hathaway and Miles Davis, and in 2012, she released an album of Beatles covers. In 2020, following a stroke, Flack was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys.
“It’s a tremendous and overwhelming honour,” Flack said at the time. “I’ve tried my entire career to tell stories through my music. This award is a validation to me that my peers heard my thoughts and took in what I have tried to give.”
